Hysteria
by Emochan
Summary: Bella has been the butt of all jokes in Forks High for as long as she can remember. That all changes when the mysterious Edward Cullen, along with his sister Alice, suddenly try to befriend her. What dark secrets are they hiding? ExB, AU. R&R
1. Highschool Really Sucks

**Author's Note: **This was originally intended to be a one-shot, but when I really started getting into the story, I realized that it would be a bit longer than your average one-shot. This story is pretty different than my _Starlight Vows_ story, which is refreshing. Also, as a mini challenge to myself, I decided to only listen to Muse while writing this story. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy! Please leave me reviews and let me know your thoughts!

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><p><strong>Chapter I. <strong>

**Highschool _Really_ Sucks.**

Sometimes it's really easy to be invisible.

Walking through the halls of my small town high school is a daily routine filled with echoes of gossip, lip-smacking, and paper shuffling as teenagers brace themselves for classes. I'm a pretty good student, I'd like to think. I haven't failed anything since seventh grade biology (and I only failed that because of dissections and blood-typing; had to excuse myself for those and unfortunately for me, my teacher didn't approve). But I was definitely not the resident brain. I certainly wasn't "miss popular". That belonged to Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory with their cronies of Barbie-wannabes.

Nah, I was just plain old Isabella-call me Bella-Swan. It was my life's quest to survive high school with minimal emotional damage, though the blondette twins (that's what I call them) always seemed to find new ways to ruin my plan.

Seeing as I am the daughter of Charlie Swan, the police chief of crummy Forks, Washington, my status somehow warranted teasing of the common grade of those around me. Usually I just ignored it by walking away or blasting my iPod so loud I'd probably be deaf before 20. Today, though, the blondettes didn't want to go down without a fight.

"Good morning, Smelly Swan!" I heard the high-pitched yelp of Jessica as she leaned against her locker, twirling one of her dirty-blonde locks between her expensively-painted nails. Beside her was Lauren, smirking in my direction, boring into me with her pale green-grey eyes. I rolled my eyes at her over-used insult. I've heard them all by now: Smelly Swan, Ugly Duckling, Smelly Belly, The Honker, Bushy Bird, Virgin Belly, Quaker Barrel, and so on. These people really had no creativity in coming up with derogatory nicknames for me. Hunching my shoulders underneath my comfortable UofW hoodie, I continued down the crowded hall towards my locker, doing my best to ignore the on-looking stares created by Jessica's call. "Hey, bitch! I was talking to you!" Jessica tried again. It was time for operation blast-my-music.

But like I mentioned, today they weren't having it. So as I approached my locker, I was bombarded with the largest quarterback of the Spartans, our prized football team. Mike Newton was grinning as he blocked my locker, crossing his arms across his letterman jacket after rustling his pale blond hair. He had a vendetta against me since the second grade, when he offered me his juice cup and I refused. He liked me back then, before hormones and hierarchies of the teenage social agenda corrupted him. Now he was Jessica's boyfriend and co-conspirator.

"Hey there, Belly," he cooed, obviously trying to distract me. The bottoms of my worn converse sneakers squeaked against the linoleum floor as I averted eye contact. "My girl over there wanted to talk to you, ya know. Why are you being so rude and ignoring her?" I saw his lips smack while the blue tint of his eyes gleamed with mischievousness. I didn't like what was happening here.

"Excuse me, Mike. I need to get to class. And as you well know, my locker is right here. So if you please," I shrugged, hoping my voice was as steady as I wanted. He didn't budge. I felt his eyes scan over my average body, resting at my chest where the zipper of my hoodie clamped. No doubt he was looking at my modest chest.

"Why are you being such a damn prude? If you weren't so weird, you may actually fit in in this school…" I glared up at him, biting down on my lip when I noticed his eyes roam above my shoulder, towards Jessica. "Ha, what am I saying? People will think I'm hitting on you or some shit," he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Aw well, this is just a warning, anyways. Better watch yourself, Swan." His eyes were dark as his tone became serious. I saw him wink towards who I assumed was Jessica before finally moving away from me. The threat in his words made me shudder slightly while I put in the combination on my lock.

My eyes stung when I felt it hit me. Hot, sticky goop sprung from inside my locker, coating me in black-like tar. I screamed in surprise, dropping my messenger bag strap, resulting in all my homework spilling out across my feet. The gasps of shock mixed with bellowing howls of laughter made my head spin. Seconds later, something white sprayed over me. The first coherent thought that came to me when I forced my eyes to open wide and focus was: _why am I covered in feathers?_

"That suits you, Duck!" Lauren growled through chuckles as she and Jessica passed me, joining a cackling Mike.

The glue-like substance was lukewarm and hardening my hoodie and exposed skin of my hands and face. I fought back the growing urge to burst into tears, calming down my heavy breathing. The crap on me reeked of a hot pavement on a summer day.

"Isabella, are you alright?" A voice from heaven spoke behind me. I realized I was frozen in place, staring at the disheveled mess that was once my locker. For that moment, I was glad that the tar and feathers covered my cheeks, because I knew I was blushing furiously. There was a familiar chill in the air as I slowly turned around, meeting the golden gaze of Edward Cullen. His flawless, pale face was wrinkled with concern; the bronze-tinted brown unruly hair of his falling over his forehead. "Isabella?" he asked again, the velvety-soft sounds of his voice shrinking my insides into puddles. Suddenly embarrassed, I nodded, gulping loudly.

"Um…I…I think so…" I murmured, feeling very small.

"Would you like me to help you?" he suggested, bending over to pick up my books and papers. A breath hitched in my throat as I watched his lean, yet magnificently-toned body lower. He was wearing a pair of faded black jeans and a simple white button-up shirt with the sleeved pulled up to his elbows. He always dressed elegantly for a teenager. I admired him for that.

Oh, I forgot to explain who this mass of perfection is. Edward Cullen is the residential mysterious heartthrob of Forks Highschool. He, along with his four other "siblings", live with Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme. They were all adopted since Esme suffered from an illness that made her infertile. They stuck to themselves, mostly. I knew that his siblings were paired off: Rosalie with Emmett, Alice with Jasper. When they first moved to Forks a little over a year ago, they spurred quite the controversy. But nowadays they are left alone, except for Edward, of course. All the girls swooned over him. I had to listen to their babbling in classes about how they all wanted to date him, go to prom with him, smell him, the works. I admit, I've swooned once or twice over him. Well, maybe more than that. Edward was a reserved kind of guy, never interacting much with anyone outside of his family. He was very nice though. And I had the privilege of having him as my biology partner this year. Unfortunately, that was used as fodder by the wonder-blondes.

Edward straightened back up with impeccable speed, holding my bag in his hand. I drew in a deep breath, wincing immediately as I tasted the bitterness of the tar.

"Thanks…" I whispered, realizing how close he was to me. I could smell his sweet cologne. It was like vanilla mixed with some sort of herbal twinge. Mint, maybe?

"Would you like to go to the nurse's office? Are you hurt?" Edward asked in a soothing tone, but I sensed some sort of anger or frustration in his voice as well. It was strange. He was always cordial with me in class, and I may have caught him peeking at me once or twice since school started last month, though how he looked at me in that moment caught me off guard. He seemed protective of me. No, that couldn't be right. He's just pitying me, like everyone else.

"No, no, I'm fine. Just need to go to the bathroom." He stared down at me, making my cheeks light on fire, before slowly nodding.

"Alright. I'm going to report this. Clearly Newton and Jessica were in charge of this debacle." Edward always spoke with such poise, making me wonder if he learned to speak like that from his real parents. It was like he was from another time…

"Thanks, Edward," I mumbled, shuffling past him in a flash, getting to the closest ladies room. Luckily, it was empty. Somehow during this disaster, the first period bell already rang. Shit. Well, hopefully Mr. Mason wouldn't be too angry when I waltz into his English class late. I pulled off my hoodie, stuffing it in the back of my bag. My pants were savable since my locker was more at my face. My faded Muse band shirt only had a little tar along the collar, which magically came off surprisingly easy. Using all the foamy soap from the wall dispenser, I scrubbed the hell out of my face, neck, and hands. My hair was going to be the real problem. My dark-brown locks were matted with the goop. The sink was too small for me to dive into it, so I had to lean over awkwardly, trying to splash as much water on myself as possible. How humiliating.

"You know, you could sneak into the gym showers if you needed to," I heard a soft, feminine voice say. I jumped, whipping my hair about. Water splattered across the mirror and floor. I was looking at Alice Cullen; her face smiling warmly as she played with the spikes of her short, black hair. The way she moved about reminded me of a pixie from Disney movies. I was shocked at the fact she was in the bathroom with me, _speaking_ to me, for the first time _ever_. Why wasn't she in class?

"Um...uh…that's okay. I think I'll be fine," I stammered. What a lie. My skin shivered as the water ran down my back, soaking my tshirt. Alice tilted her head to the side, watching me curiously. Then, she smiled broadly, reaching over and taking my hand in hers. I gasped at how cool her flesh was, but I blamed it on being drenched myself.

"Come on, I can help you sneak in," she said. Something in her eyes drew me in, and I followed her nervously with a nod. The halls were empty since class was in session. Alice moved with a grace that was inhuman, strolling down the hallway, still holding my hand. "What they did was terrible," she said distastefully. "I'm sorry." I raised an eyebrow at how it seemed she sounded remorseful.

"It's okay. Not like anyone could've prevented it," I groaned. Alice was strangely silent after that. When we got to the gym locker room, Alice bounced to her changing locker and pulled out some extra clothes.

"Here, I always bring spare clothing. You can borrow them since yours are sopping wet," she said. I was wide-eyed as she handed me the bundle. "Go on and shower. I'll keep lookout!" her hands clasped together with excitement, making me more nervous. I stepped into one of the small stalls, welcoming the hot water after I discarded my outfit. Why was Alice Cullen, of all people, helping me like this? Did Edward tell her? The pity-party I was getting put me on edge as I scrubbed my hair. I didn't like being the center of attention as it was. I knew that what happened would be spread across school by the time I got to class. My stomach churned at the looks I was going to get. Usually I didn't pay much attention, but this prank they pulled was bigger than what they normally did.

I still didn't understand why the blondettes had a hatred for me. I never did anything to them. I kept to myself, or hung with Angela Webber and Eric Yorkie, my only real friends in this school. They worked on the school newspaper together, and were kinda geeky. I didn't mind, though. We understood each other. They were going to give me sad looks when I ate with them today. Great.

I shot out of my thoughts when I heard Alice call out that one of the coaches was coming. I hustled out of the shower and changed into what Alice gave me: a cream colored camisole with a matching wool over-shirt and a pair of dark-blue skinny jeans. I was thankful that we fit in the same clothes and towel-dried my hair as fast as I could, grumbling as how it would surely frizz out throughout the day. Alice was waiting for me by her locker and we ran out of there like there was a fire. As I caught my breath, I mouthed a thank you to her as we peered over the corner to see Coach Clapp walk in, whistling some messed up tune. The two of us stared at each other, breaking out in a fit of giggles. It was refreshing, standing there in the empty hallway, laughing like that. I pulled back my hair and tied it into a ponytail, checking my watch for the time and cursing under my breath.

"Damnit, I'm gonna be so late!" I said in frustration. Turning to a calming Alice, I smiled at her appreciatively. "Thanks for helping me, and the clothes."

"No problem, Bella," Alice said. I was surprised she knew my nickname, though actually, as I thought about it, everyone used it when teasing me one way or another, so it was well known. She held up a bag that I failed to notice before. My clothes and hoodie were inside. "I can get these cleaned up for you and return them to you tomorrow morning?"

"You don't need to do that…"

"Nonsense! It's the least I can do!" She chimed. I narrowed my eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand instantly. What did she mean by that?

"Alice, what-"

"Miss Swan, Miss Cullen, what are you doing loitering the hallway while you should be in class?" We both cringed as Mr. Varner walked over to us, giving us a stern glare.

"I was just accompanying Bella to class, Sir. You see, Mr. Newton and Ms. Stanley played a really mean prank on her, and I was helping her. My brother reported the incident to Mr. Sessleman, if you would like to check," Alice cut in before I could make up an excuse. Boy, was she good. Mr. Varner eyed us for a long minute before huffing.

"Fine. Hurry back to class now, before I lose my patience," he said. Alice grinned and pulled me away once again, leading me down to where my English class awaited.

"Wow, you're a smooth talker," I said. Alice chuckled.

"Only when I need to be. Mr. Varner is such a sleaze," she replied as we arrived at my classroom. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bella!" She gave me a friendly wave as I dodged around the corner, walking into the suddenly silent classroom.

"Nice of you to join us this morning, Miss Swan," Mr. Mason snapped. I lowered my head and rushed to my seat. The rest of the period, I felt the eyes of all my classmates and heard their whispers of my morning.

At the end of class, I saw Mr. Sessleman, the principal, approach the room. He requested that I see him in his office to recount what happened. To say that was a comfortable conversation would be an outright lie. But he seemed sympathetic and told me that the wrong-doers will be dealt with. He already was having the janitor clean up my locker, but insisted that I change lockers for the time being. He gave me a new number and lock combination. I then went off to geometry class, wanting nothing more than for this day to end.

Lunch was painful. Angela and Eric were understanding, telling me they felt bad for not being there to help me. When I explained to them what Edward and Alice did, I couldn't believe their mouths got as wide as they did. Eric wanted to make it front-page news that the Cullens spoke to me, and I frantically refused. I could heard Lauren complaining at the popular table about my tattle-telling. It was hard to sit there, knowing she was brainwashing people into hating me more than they already did.

"Oh my gosh, Bella, Edward's watching you!" Angela whispered at my side. Slowly, I turned my head to see that she was right. He was sitting at his usual spot, at the end of a round table with his other siblings, glancing over at me with empathetic eyes. I had biology with him later in the day. I knew I'd have to thank him for what he and his sister did. Alice waved from beside him, smiling. Jasper was next to her like usual, looking indifferent, yet in pain, as she brushed some of his dirty-blond, curly hair from his ear. Rosalie was scowling, and still looked beautiful. I was surprised she didn't hang out with the rest of the barbies. She definitely looked like one. Her long-blond hair cascaded over her pale shoulders. Emmett was talking next to her, holding her close to his side. He looked like he could beat down any football player. I snickered to myself at the thought of him pummeling Mike to the ground. He scratched his short brown hair and sighed.

Snapping my head back, I ignored everyone else the rest of the period. Angela changed subjects, telling me about the bonfire happening at La Push that upcoming weekend. I told her I was invited by Jake, but wasn't sure if I was going to go. I grew up with Jacob Black and his family. He had two older sisters, Rebecca and Rachel, whom were both in college. Jake was two years younger than me, so he was a freshman right now. He was a rebellious kid, always getting into trouble with his band of friends. But we were best friends. I'd watch him fix up old clunkers in his dad's garage and we'd play video games while our dads fished on Saturdays. Since it was the middle of October, the Quileute tribe was having their annual Autumn bonfire, which meant lots of food, booze, and listening to tribal stories from the elders. Angela was excited because this was her first year going to it. Usually it was only open to Quileute members and friends. I let Angela come over to Jake's once last spring because she want to do a research paper on Quileute legends. Ever since then, she's been visiting and learning all sorts of stuff about the land and the people. Harry and Sue Clearwater wanted to adopt her into the family, since she was vastly different than their own kids.

For some reason, my heart wasn't in going to the bonfire. Probably because I knew Jake was starting to get a crush on me, which was a little irritating since I saw him as a brother. Charlie teases me about it all the time, about how it would be nice for me to find a boy as good and handy as Jake. I made an audible groan at the thought, burying my head in my hands until lunch was over. I had American history next, which went by pretty quick. I actually paid attention to the in-depth discussion on slavery during the Civil War. Then, it was biology.

I mentioned before that I hate biology right? 11th grade biology is so much worse than 7th grade, let me tell you. At least it was still early in the year, so I had time to come up with foreign illnesses to excuse myself from reliving horrific trauma.

Like a magnet, I was drawn to Edward's presence as soon as I walked into the room. He sat casually in his spot at the table third from the front. My feet dragged as I tried to keep myself composed. He flashed me a stunning smile as I joined him at the table, yanking out my bio lab book and plopping it on the blacktop. Mr. Banner walked in, going on about the different types of soil, which clued me in that we would be lectured at for a while. Silently, I willed myself to speak to Edward. To thank him. Normally, we would be silent unless we had to work together. I wondered on the first day if he hated me, to be honest. He had given me a very odd stare, like he wanted to kill me or something. Weird, right? It also seemed that he had darker eyes then, too. Since then, I was always too scared to say much to him.

"Um, Edward?" I whispered, keeping my eye on Banner to make sure I wouldn't be caught.

"Hmm?" he replied, sounding bored.

"Thanks, for this morning. For reporting everything. And, uh, thank Alice for me. I promise to take good care of her clothes. I can wash them for her tonight."

For a second I thought I could actually _feel_ him smiling at me. Before I could say anything else, Mr. Banner shot me a glare as he continued talking, signaling he knew I was talking. Damn. I sunk deeper into my seat, staring down at my poorly-written notes. There was a tearing sound beside me, and I saw a small piece of paper slide over my notebook. My lips parted as I read the beautifully written script.

_It was my pleasure, Isabella. You don't deserve the treatment you get. Alice was grateful to help. I hope she did not overwhelm you. Don't fret so much about the clothes._

Did my mind just go completely wacky? How could someone my age write so…so gorgeously like that? It was perfect cursive! Like the kind you'd see on books. I reread his words over again, letting his comments sink in. He doesn't think I deserve the teasing? My cheeks were definitely red again. I wanted to look at Edward, but I knew that if I did, I would probably turn into a pile of teenage angst and drool.

All too soon, the period bell rang. Sluggishly, I pulled myself to my feet, shoving my stuff into my bag. Edward flew past me like a gust of wind, making me frown. I wanted to…do…what…exactly? Say thanks again? Ask why he's even speaking to me? Shaking my head, I get out of the room and run off to my final class of the day. It was slow, of course. Relief rolled over me in droves as I got to my beast of a truck when the school day was finally done. My iPod was on full blast, but that didn't stop me from seeing all the swear words and insults being mouthed to me by all of Jessica's friends. I could see Mike in the corner of the parking lot, giving me a death glare from his car. I hastened my walking, getting to my rusty red truck without breaking a sweat.

My face fell when I saw the neon blue letters against the red. At first I wasn't sure what I was seeing. It popped out at me, taunting me: the word 'WHORE' was spray-painted on the side and windshield of my vehicle, outlined in ruby red lipstick. They defiled my baby! There was a snap in my jaw as my teeth clenched, anger surging through my veins. I knew what they wanted. Those bastards expected me to cry, sob, and run away. They wanted to see my utter humiliation. Deep down, I wanted to do those things. How was I going to ride this home without causing a car accident? What was Charlie going to think? Isn't spray paint a pain in the ass to get off? Please, God, for once make me invisible again!

"Oh no, Bella!" Angela's voice carried over the cool breeze as she scampered to my side. Her mouth was agape as she gawked at the sight. "What…what are you going to do?" I turned to her with a barren expression on my face. I had absolutely no idea. That's when the howls began. Laughter erupted like a bad movie across the parking lot. All the faces of my peers mangled together like in that Carrie movie, spiraling around me, laughing at my demise. I could almost hear the mother's line "they're all gonna laugh at you" when I heard Angela gasp at my side.

"Isabella?" No. Not again! The two of us turned in slow motion behind us to see Edward with the rest of his siblings. He, as well as Alice, looked on with disheartened expressions. Jasper looked just as pained as he always did, while Rosalie tried to hide her smirk. Emmett shook his head in disgust, looking over at Edward. I saw something like sparks in Edward's amber eyes. Alice glared over at the snickering bunch that obviously did this.

"I can't believe this! Those juveniles are so detestable!" She sneered, squeezing her hands at her sides. "Bella, are you alright?" Angela gasped again. Edward took a step forward, looking unsure. I was frozen, my hand clutching my bag strap for dear life, while the other shook at my hip.

"Bella, I think I'm gonna go report this to the principal…" Angela glanced at me quickly before she took off towards the back entrance of the school. The air whipped around me as she passed us. I saw Edward immediately tense; his muscles flexing underneath his shirt. Oh god, why was I even looking at that right now?

He darted his eyes between Alice and I rapidly, and then opened his hypnotizing mouth. "Isabella, would you like a ride home?" My face probably looked horrendous. I thought my eyes would spill out of their sockets. Edward Cullen was asking to give _me_ a ride? He never gave anyone rides, outside of his brothers and sisters! The laughter around us started to die down. Actually, I couldn't tell, since my heart was pounding like a drill in my chest.

"Um…" I bit my lower lip, confused as to how to reply. If I rode with them, how would my truck get home?

"Oh, Bella, don't worry about your truck! Emmett here is awesome at fixing stuff like this!" Alice sang, elbowing Emmett in his side. He groaned, rubbing his side and looking at the two of us oddly. Rosalie's eyes narrowed and she…growled? I think? Alice giggled softly to herself.

"Really, you don't have to-"

"Nonsense! Consider it taken care of!" Alice cut me off for the second time today, jumping over to the truck and peering through the door window. "Just take out anything you need and we have it dropped off at your house tomorrow!"

Seriously, how did this girl have so much energy? She never acted like this during school, at least as far as I had seen. Her spikes of enthusiasm were giving me whiplash. After a moment of looking like an idiot, I'm sure, I shrugged my shoulders and did as she asked. I opened the door and pulled out my water bottle and leftover books. Alice held her hand out in front of her, smiling at me. "Keys, please?"

"Ah…course…" I was terribly shaken by her excitement. Handing her the key set, I turned to see Edward, who watched me intently. Alice tossed the keys to Emmett.

"All yours!" She grinned, and Emmett grumbled something I couldn't make out. "We can ride in the jeep today, Edward," the spiked pixie said, patting her brother on his arm swiftly before the rest of the group walked towards their cars. Edward lingered in his spot for a few more seconds, as if lost in thought. Then, snapping out of it, he flashed me a crooked smile, which made my insides melt.

"Let's go, Isabella," he almost cooed to me. I gulped, following him as he strode by his siblings, to his very shiny silver Volvo. I admired his car from afar, as well as his siblings' cars. Emmett drove a giant Jeep Wrangler. Once in a while Rosalie would bring her red BMW. They usually travelled between the jeep and the Volvo.

"I'm sorry for putting your siblings out. They don't all need to ride in the jeep…" I said quietly, feeling my nerves rumbling underneath my skin as Edward walked to the passenger side and opened the door for me. He was such a gentleman, which struck me as admirable. He was clearly raised well-mannered. A rarity in this day-in-age. There was a mesmerizing chuckle from his lips while I sat down. My heart fluttered at the sound, and I wanted to hear it again. He slid into his seat, placed the key in its slot, and let the engine come to life. I turned around to see Emmett give Rosalie his keys before running back to my truck and getting inside it. Rosalie gave me a dirty look before getting inside the jeep.

"Don't worry about my siblings. Emmett will take good care of your truck," Edward reassured me. I slumped in the car seat. As we pulled out, my nerves got the best of me while I watched the shocked faces of the remaining students; Jessica and Lauren specifically. They were both appalled, angry, and shocked. A small smile came over me when I saw Angela walking out with Mr. Sessleman, pointing to my truck and leading him to where they stood. I pulled out my cellphone and texted her a fast thanks. Then I began to wonder how all this happened.

Ways my day went from normal to weird:

Got to school with only one slip over the black ice in front of my house. Check.

Avoided much of the teasing about my truck and it's old age in the parking lot. Check.

Was tarred and feathered by the blondette bimbos and their sidekick Mike the dick. Check.

Rescued by the amazingness that is Edward freaking Cullen. Check.

Ninjaed across the school by Alice Cullen, who spoke to me for the first time today. Check.

Saw my car after it was vandalized. Laughter ensued. Publically humiliated for the second time in one day. Check.

Rescued yet again by the Cullens. Currently riding in the car, alone, with Edward. Double check!

I sighed deeply, holding my head with my hand and watching the sights blurring across my vision. The real question I had racking my brain all day came back in full force, pulling me out of my reverie about my day.

"Edward?" I asked, keeping my gaze out the window.

"Yes, Isabella?"

"Why are you helping me?" If he knew how desperate I was, he would laugh in my face. But I really needed to understand why this family, who ignored everyone for over a year, suddenly was paying so much attention to me. Edward was silent for a while, making me think he ignored my question. I thought I heard something uttered under his breath. Something like "I couldn't stay away any longer", but I shook my head and cursed myself for being so stupid.

"You were treated rather harshly today, and I felt compelled to help. Alice, too. We don't like seeing you, or anyone else for that matter, being disrespected like that."

He was compelled? Where was he when they barraged me with insults and death threats? I nibbled on my lower lip again, trying to keep calm. His answer spurred many more questions. Each egged me on to continue the conversation. Instead, I ignored them and sighed.

"Thank you. I'll pay Emmett back for his work. Just let me know," I relented.

"Please, Isabella, don't worry about that. Emmett loves tinkering."

We were silent again. It wasn't until he pulled into my driveway that I realized Edward knew exactly where I lived. I was going to ask how, and then remembered that Charlie was the police chief, so most people knew where we lived, anyway. I caught a glimpse of Edward as he turned off the car and lightly pulled at his thick-looking hair. A strange thought came to me then: I wonder if it was as soft as it looked. My lips went dry as I shook my head. _Stupid, Bella! Stupid!_

"Thanks for the ride, Edward," I said, opening the door and getting out. Edward followed suit, standing by his door.

"Isabella, can I ask you something?" he inquired while I made my way around the car. I nodded. "Why do you not go by your full name?" Oh.

"I dunno. It sounds too formal, I guess. My mom tried calling me Izzy once and I hated it, so I stuck with Bella. It's more modern and welcoming…" I trailed off, growing more and more embarrassed with each word I sputtered. How was it that I lost control whenever I was around this guy? Edward chuckled again. I felt the burning of my cheeks and held onto my messenger bag tighter.

"Well, then, I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," he said with a smile that teased me to my core. Was I drooling? Please don't show me drooling!

"Yeah. Bye, Edward," I replied. He got back into his car and left, taking one last glance at me before disappearing from my sight.

I hustled inside, setting the kitchen up for dinner. I decided on a lasagna dish the night before, so the sauce was already made. I slapped all the pieced together and shoved it into the oven. Once that was all done, I dove for the couch and mentally prepared myself for Charlie. No doubt the principal contacted him after today. He had some slight knowledge on my being bullied at school. I never really discussed it with him. The good thing about Charlie was that he didn't hover. We weren't all that close verbally, but we understood each other. Our silence was a comfortable one.

He got home right when the lasagna was ready. He looked tired as he scratched his mustache, tossing his hat on the coffee table and hanging his handgun on the wall by the front door. "Hey, Dad," I greeted, taking off the oven mitts.

"Hey there, Bells," he yawned. "Smells mouth-watering. I'm starved."

"Glad to hear it," I said as I grabbed a plate and scooped out some of the pasta onto it. Charlie plopped in the chair at the kitchen table, cracking open the can of beer I placed there and taking a swing. After making my plate, I sat down across form him and we started eating. Some time passed, and I could see from the creasing of his forehead that the dreaded conversation was coming.

"So I noticed that your truck isn't in the driveway, and I got a very interesting phone call from school today…" Oh, great. He was leaving me to finish what he started. I proceeded to give him a brief explanation, leaving out the sneaking into the gym info, of my day. He furrowed his brows as he thought.

"Cullens, eh? Nice family. I've met Carlisle a few times. Nice man." Well, that was a short and sweet opinion. I rolled my eyes, finishing my meal. Charlie glanced at his watch, mentioning a game coming on. I told him to leave his dishes as he went into the living room with a fresh can of beer. After I cleaned everything up in the kitchen, I walked upstairs to do the homework deed. When I got into my bedroom, I felt the strangest sensation. Was I being watched? Just to be sure, I snooped around the room, looking in my closet and under my bed. I even opened the window and peered out into the night. Nothing. Jeez, was I losing my mind from the day? Had to be. Maybe a hot shower was in order.

Yes. A shower was definitely in order!

It felt amazing. I think I could've fallen asleep in there if I wouldn't prune or collapse. The robe I slipped into felt extra comfy as I returned to my bed, staring down at the evil math equations and short answer sheet for history. Gag me.

Before long, my eyes were getting heavy. When I saw the time (11:30!), I knew it was bed time for Bella. So, I got settled under my comforter and turned off the light, lazily watching as the moonlight poured through my window. It gave off a purple-ivory hue across my bed. _What a weird day_, I thought as I yawned. _Hopefully I'll survive tomorrow, too._

I dreamed of Edward Cullen for the first time that night. And it was a doozy. In a very, _very_ good sort of way.


	2. Insult to Injury

**Author's Note: **Wow! What a response, already! Thanks for the kind reviews, everybody. And double thanks to those how put this on alert. I've written a decent amount before posting this up, so I'll be updating a lot the next day or so. I'm trying to pump this story out before I start back to school in the next couple of weeks, so bear with me! Continue reviewing, especially if you've read _Starlight Vows_ and/or _Love is Worth the Fall._ I'd love to hear your thoughts on the similarities/differences between them and this. On with the story! What kind of shenanigans will Bella be stuck in, next?

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><p><strong>Chapter II.<strong>

**Insult to Injury.**

It was entirely too damn early for me to be getting up. The alarm clock screamed at me, and with a fistful of anger, I turned it off. My shower was quick enough just to wake me up. I threw on an old pair of jeans and a light-blue sweater that my mother, Renee, had mailed me for my birthday. On a whim, I decided to leave my hair down. I gathered up the clothes Alice loaned me and packed them in my bag before running downstairs to snag a bagel. Charlie already left, so the downstairs was peaceful. Cream cheese was my savior this morning. No bagel is complete without light strawberry cream cheese.

The taste buds of my tongue were savoring the last bits of my breakfast when I remembered that my truck should be back. When I opened the front door, I didn't see it in the driveway. I immediately pouted. Maybe that spray paint was too hard for Emmett to fix? Or it cost more than he anticipated? How was I gonna get to school now? My fingers grabbed my cell from my pocket and I dialed Charlie's number, cringing. Being driven to school in his police cruiser wouldn't make a statement at all. Another notch in the not-being-invisible department. I stared at the numbers so hard they were being etched into my brain.

"Good morning, Bella." I nearly dropped the phone when I snapped my head upwards, seeing Edward standing in front of his car.

"What are you doing here?" My mouth vomited. _Great job, Bella. Not even a hello!_ He was gorgeous as per usual, wearing grey slacks and a tight black shirt that was mostly hidden by a thick dark-grey hoodie. The hood was up, mushing down his crazy hair. God. Damn. It.

"Emmett got distracted with something last night, so he couldn't finish your truck in time. So I'm here as your ride to school this morning. He said the truck should be there by the time we arrive. I apologize," he said. How could someone be so sweet? I didn't hide the smile plastered on my face as I walked to the Volvo. Edward returned my smile with a dazzling one of his own. I got inside and off we went to Forks High. Where others would see us together. For the second time in a row. In his car. In Edward Cullen's car! Oh crap! My body went into overdrive as the faces appeared in my head. All the stares and harassment. How was I going to survive?

"You can just drop me off near the school," I said softly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, reserved but concerned.

"Being seen with me may not be in your best interest. Not after yesterday," I replied simply. It was the truth. Granted, Edward was not the most popular guy in school by any means, but he did have a rather good reputation. Being seen with Smelly Belly would tarnish what school cred he had. I should've thought of this yesterday.

"Don't be ridiculous. That means nothing to me," he said back. I looked at him, taking in how perfectly sculpted his jaw was as he drove. His eyes peeked over at mine for a brief instant before returning to the road. I was surprised by this guy. Everyone in high school worried about their status, didn't they? I mean, even I did to an extent. Maybe Edward was more different than I initially figured. I shrugged, leaning back in the seat and grimaced when I saw our school sign appear.

"I warned you," I darkly snickered as he pulled into the parking lot. I felt them staring as soon as I exited the car. Edward was cool and collected, flashing me a reassuring smile. In the distance I saw my truck, looking brand new, with Emmett chilling in the back.

"Yo! You're late!" he teased, sticking his tongue out playfully at Edward. I blushed, feeling bad that he had to spend so much time working on it. "Here ya go," he said, tossing me the keys.

"Thanks a lot, Emmett. I mean it. How much do I owe you?" He jumped out of the back of the truck like a pro, landing remarkably on his feet and grinning.

"You're a funny girl, you know that?" With a shake of his head and a cocky grin, he left.

"I told you not to worry about that," Edward reminded me.

"Couldn't hurt to try," I said.

"Bella! There you are!" Alice's chipper voice rang over the pavement as she joined us. She was holding my clothes, clean and neatly folded in her hands. It jogged my own memory that hers were in my bag. I pulled them out and handed them to her. "Oh, you can keep them if you like. I didn't care much for that top, anyway," she commented nonchalantly. I gave her a blank stare, barely feeilng it when she placed my clothes on top of the ones I held.

What the hell was going on here?

"Alice, I'm not sure I can accept all this," I said solemnly. "This is…" Too much. Too crazy. I looked at Edward, losing myself in the translucent void of his golden eyes.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Bella, I'll be having a Halloween party at our house in two weeks. It's a costume party, and it'll be so much fun! Would you like to come? Please say yes!"

What? I shook my head, freeing myself from the hold of Edward's golden orbs. Did she just say party? I'd never been invited to a party that wasn't at La Push before. Weren't the Cullen parties big and lavish? A memory from the year before came to me, bringing me back to when all the kids gossiped over how huge the Cullen home was, how expensive the party had to be with all the decorations and special effects and food, and how elaborate the costumes were. And she wanted _me_ to come?

"Um…" I hesitated, unsure of my answer. Her eyes were wide, her mouth draped open as she waited for my response.

"It would be lovely if you could make it, Bella," Edward egged me on. My face definitely turned scarlet. I nodded.

"Okay, then. Count me in."

"Wonderful!" Alice exclaimed, hugging me abruptly.

"Alice," Edward hissed. She coiled backwards and smiled brightly at me. It made her look prettier. I wonder how that was even possible.

"Well, it's getting close to the warning bell. I'll see you in Biology, Bella?" Edward sighed, lowering his hoodie and messing up his hair.

"Yeah," I choked. Before I could make a bigger fool of myself, I went to the passenger door and put the clothes inside. When I turned back, I was alone. Alice and Edward were nowhere to be seen. Maybe the Cullens were ninjas…

"Hey, Whorebag, did you give Cullen a thrill last night?"

"Where are your feathers? They made you look hot…NOT!"

"You're such a skank, Honker."

Hm. They were getting mean today. Operation full-blast was on. It didn't rectify the looks, though. I sat through my classes like a zombie, wanting to just get back home and away from the hell that was my highschool. The conversation in the morning kept me occupied. I was still very confused as to why Alice and Edward were being so warm to me. Pity couldn't be it. Not the only answer. Maybe…maybe they were playing a prank on me? Were they conspirators with the blondettes? No. That couldn't be true. I never saw them together. Anxiety built up inside me the rest of the morning as different scenarios played over and over.

I shot Angela and Eric texts that I would be going to the library instead of lunch today. I hid in the dark recess of the lower level, leaving myself to my music and laptop. Being so distracted, I totally forgot to check my email the night before. A thorough dose of Smashing Pumpkins blared through my headphones as I logged into my teenage addiction: Facebook. The first thing I noticed was a red notification next to the friend icon. _A friend request? _ I ran a hand through my long hair as I clicked on the link. When the next page loaded, I forgot to breathe.

One single name was listed, next to a square image. I recognized it instantly. My heart sank.

_Edward Cullen._

The mouse wavered between confirm and not now. Should I friend him? Or not? Curiosity won in the end, and as I shut my eyes closed tightly, I accepted the friend request.

My inner stalker flung to life as I scouted his page, drinking in any information he had provided. There weren't many photographs, outside of his default, which was just a shot of him by his Volvo, in a plain white tshirt and black pants. There were a couple others: one with him playing video games with Emmett, posing for a group family shot around a Christmas tree, sitting by a fireplace with Alice and who I assumed to be Esme, and a shot of him playing a grand piano. I was floored at how amazing he looked in the photos. Why wasn't he modeling in a magazine I couldn't pronounce the title of?

After the photos, I checked out his basic info. There wasn't much. He liked a lot of classical music, the Beatles, and some indie bands. Actually, he liked a lot of the same music I did. And books. I was surprised. Renee always told me I was an old soul for my age. No one else I knew liked the same stuff as me. Not in this magnitude. Time was passing too fast for my liking, and I had to stop myself. Switching gears, I opened up the English paper I had to write and jotted down some ideas for it for the rest of the period.

Edward was sitting in his spot when I arrived at biology. He looked at me, giving me what was becoming his trademark smile.

"Hello, Bella," he said as I sat.

"Erm. Hi," I replied nervously. Without a hitch, my heart was pounding. Could he hear it? God, I hope not.

"I hope my sister didn't scare you this morning. She can be very hyperactive at times," he murmured, sounding a little frustrated.

"At times? I think she's a bundle of pure energy. I don't know how you deal with that every single day and not go crazy," I replied, hoping I wasn't overstepping any boundaries with my opinion. His laugh answered my fear with a no.

Banner came in at that point, hushing the room. I remained quiet the rest of class, doing my best to pay attention. The ringing of the period bell startled my heart, and I involuntarily frowned.

"I hope that your truck is fixed to your liking," Edward said, getting up in what seemed like slow motion to my eyes. And the way he was looking at me…the luminescent lights above were making his irises glow underneath arched eyebrows. Loose strands of his hair fell over his forehead, while the rest jetted in all directions (similar to bed hair, yum). And his lips, which were a pale shade of pink, they were moving while he spoke, but I didn't hear it. All I imagined was what I had dreamed the night before.

_"Bella, I have admired you from afar and cannot stay away. I want you. I've always wanted you. Please say yes to being mine? I want to shield you from everyone. Let me kiss you…"_

"Bella? Are you alright? Bella?" Something waved in front of my face and I jumped. Edward was looking at me like I had fainted. It was his hand moving up and down in front of me. Though he looked concerned, there was a hint of a grin on the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, sorry! I…uh…zoned out there…" _Jesus, what is this guy DOING to me! Like he even thinks of you that way. You're just a one-time charity case. _"What were you saying?" We started walking out of the classroom now, seeing as we were the only ones there.

"I said that I hoped your truck was fixed to your liking," he repeated. I nodded furiously.

"No worries. It looked great. I bet it'll purr or something like that," I jested. Edward smiled. I needed to get to my next class, but I didn't want to leave Edward's side. Walking next to him felt…safe. It was like the stares vanished. Like we were the only ones in the hallway. As creepy as it felt, I enjoyed it.

Then Edward groaned.

"Oh, lookie! It's Whorebag Swan! She must be getting it on with Cullen! He's really desperate if he'd tap that nasty ass!" I grimaced as the words hit me right in the face.

"She's a pity fuck. He'd never touch that! She'd spread her legs for anyone. Prolly has a disease or two!" Where were the slut jokes coming from?

Familiar glares from the blondette gallery came our way, and I fought against the urge to sprint to Math. Instead, I let the safety I felt from Edward control me and I kept my head high and didn't let them see how hurt I was.

"You are very brave, Bella," Edward said low enough for just me to hear. I shrugged.

All too soon I saw my classroom. "Thanks for walking with me, I guess," I said. Edward nodded his head once and shoved one of his hands in his pockets. "Sorry for the jokes. Warned you about that."

"Like I feign a difference about what these delinquents say. I find you to be endearing and utterly fascinating, not at all what they describe." The way he spoke was so old-fashioned and just plain sexy.

"Hmm. Well…I'll see ya." Honestly, I had no clue how to end this awkward conversation. Though, I couldn't handle being late to another class in two days. Edward smirked before waving at me as he turned to walk off.

"I hope so, Bella," he said softly. I stood in the doorway for what felt like ten hours as I concentrated on his movements. His walk was a strong one; he had nothing to fear in this school. His ass was amazing…_damnit, stop that!_

"Move it, Duck," some jerkwad spat as he shoved into my shoulder. With a grumble, I resigned and went to class.

Angela found me at the end of the day, asking me all sorts of questions about riding with Edward and updating me on the happenings at lunch. Apparently, Mike and Jessica were suspended for three days, meaning they would be gone the rest of the week. They also had two weeks of detention, and had to pay me back, as well as the school, for damages. I was not looking forward to their backlash next week. Thank Mr. Sessleman for giving me a least a small reprieve for the week. I gave Angela a nutshell version wof the last 24 hours, and she grinned when I told her of the friend request on Facebook. Regardless of the fact that she was not a gossiper, her eyes lit up. She started talking about the bonfire again, and I caved. As annoying as Jake could get, I needed to get away for a few hours. With that, I left school, taking note of the fact that all the Cullens were watching me pull out; Edward in particular.

There was something about him that I just couldn't shake. It hurt my brain when I tried to figure it out. What were his intentions? What were Alice's? Wanting to be friends out of the blue scared the hell out of me. Let's be honest. I would be lying if I said I didn't like it, though.

Oh, and for the record, I think I did hear my baby purr on the way home. I'd have to seriously thank Emmett for that.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful, much to my relief. The teasing continued relentlessly, but I countered that with my iPod, or with either Edward or Alice between classes. It surprised me that neither of them minded the harassment they got. No one had the balls to say anything to their faces like they did me. Charlie was relieved to hear that they were helping me out, even in the minimal way. He joked with me Thursday night about scaring "the Newton boy" by introducing him to his newest model shotgun. That got me laughing.

On Friday night, as I was getting ready for bed with my favorite book, _Wuthering Heights_ (so I'm a sappy romantic, sue me), I decided to check Facebook to see if Jake responded to my question about food on the reservation the next day. Harry Clearwater made the best fish fry in town, and I knew my Dad would love to have some. I always felt bad about going without making something, so I was determined to bake brownies or a cake. Anything. I smiled when I noticed he responded on the event page.

_Duh, Harry's making the fish fry. If you wanna bring something, go for it. Dad said you didn't need to, but whatever. You know me and your double-fudge brownies, Bells…*snicker*_

I rolled my eyes. His statement sounded like a double-meaning, though I wasn't sure if he was mature enough to register that. Brownies, it is!

The feathery comforter felt nice as I snuggled underneath it. It was getting colder, which made me a little sad. I didn't mind the weather change, but I kinda missed the heat in Pheonix that I loved as a kid. Right as I was going to close my laptop and dive into a few chapters of my book, I heard the familiar ding of an instant message on Facebook. I yawned, looking at the name, and yelped at myself. It was Edward.

_Good evening, Bella._ His simple statement made me rub my eyes.

_Hello._ I didn't know what else to say!

_I hope I'm not interrupting anything. Just happened to see that you were online. _

Oh, no worries, Mr. Cullen! I was just gonna lose myself in the whirlwind romance of Heathcliff and Catherine.

_Not doing much. Was about to go read._

_Oh, what are you reading?_

_Wuthering Heights. _I bit my lip. _An old fav of mine._

_Ah, one of mine as well. Very controversial story. I'm surprised you enjoy it._ I smirked slightly at his response. What did he think I was? A Cosmo girl? Yeck!

_I already read Seventeen Magazine and Cosmo twice. Got my fill of modern teenage angst for the night._

A few minutes passed until he replied. I wondered if he got what I said as humor.

_Tisk, tisk. Did you forget Teen Beat? That would be an awful shame._

I laughed. This banter was nice.

_Ack! I did! I'll have to rush out tomorrow and purchase it!_

_Speaking of tomorrow, Alice was wondering if you wanted to come over and "hang out"?_

My eyes bulged. Now I was being invited over to their house? Crap. Crap Crap Crap! Then I began to think. If Edward had a Facebook, Alice had to have one. Why didn't _she_ friend me?

Could…could Edward be asking me to come over, for himself? I coughed as my heart skipped a beat. No way. Impossible. I decided to play along and see what he'd say.

_Sorry, you'll have to tell Alice I've got plans. _Stupid bonfire! There was another pause in conversation as my nerves doubled.

_What a shame. Are you free Sunday?_ Was I free on Sunday? Charlie usually planted himself firmly in his recliner and watched ESPN all day. I did my laundry and homework. That could wait a few hours though…

Oh my god. Was I really thinking about going to the Cullens? Was this some sort of prank? Vibrations of my heartbeat echoed in my ears. Yes. Yes I was thinking about it.

_I think I can cast aside some time for Alice on Sunday._ My fingers shook as they punched the keys.

_She'll be delighted._ I wondered if he would be delighted, too.

_I need to go. Bedtime for Bella._ Honestly, I didn't know what else to talk about with him. My head was swirling.

_Good night, Bella. Have sweet dreams._

_You too. Good night._ I slammed my laptop shut and hid under my covers. I was going to the Cullens. I don't think anyone went there unless it was for one of Alice's parties. What were his parents like? Was their house as huge as people said? Were Alice and Edward serious about being so friendly with me? Was I going insane with my thoughts about Edward Cullen?

Needless to say, I was up late that night.

My grumbles in the early morning matched Charlie's, even though he was used to getting up to fish at dawn on Saturdays. I had to make enough brownies for at least 100 people today, so I had to drive out to the store for supplies. Forks was quiet in the early morning. The clouds were grey, keeping Mr. Sun away from this dreary town. The colored leaves were littering the sidewalks, giving some reds and oranges to look at against the dulling hue of the houses and businesses. I purchased the eggs and boxed mixes I needed, returned home, and got to work. Within the hour, the entire house smelled of rich chocolate. Charlie kept busy in the living room, watching the news and some sports reviews so he had topics to discuss with Billy.

By the afternoon, I had ten pans of gooey chocolate goodness ready to go. _Jake better be extra nice to me today_, I thought as we drove to La Push. It was a nice reservation right on the beach. I saw the smoke billowing over the old, rustic red house of the Blacks. Billy wheeled himself around the driveway as Charlie pulled in, a big grin on his aged face.

"Hey there, Charlie, Bells," he greeted with a salute. I laughed at him while I started pulling out the pans.

"Bella!" Jake's familiar call flew at me. I turned to see him jogging in my direction, wearing a thin black shirt and beige cargo pants. For a 15 year old, he was well-built. He had thick black hair that went down to his waist, which was tied into a braid today. His Native American skin was covered in sand and he was eyeing my nutritional contribution hungrily. "Need help?"

"Actually, Jake, that would be fantastic," I said, handing him five of the pans. "You got that?"

"What do you take me for, a girl?" he teased, winking at me before taking off towards the back of the house. Shaking my head, I followed him down the gravel path to the backyard, where all the rest of the group had gathered. I saw Emily Young working the industrial-sized grill, flipping hamburgers and steaks. Her boyfriend, Sam Uley was helping her. Leah Clearwater was close by, scowling as she laid out the salad dishes. That was a muffed up love triangle that I don't have any interest in rehashing. Let's just say Leah was not very happy that Sam chose her cousin over her. Six months ago.

Jake's other friends were wrestling in the sand, which was presumably what Jake was up to as we arrived. Paul and Embry were giving each other headlocks, while Quill and Jared were showing Leah's little brother, Seth, how to do the sleeper hold. Boys will be boys, right? Jake showed me where to put the brownies, and I gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Harry and Sue. After I smacked Jake away from stealing some brownies, he went on about showing me new wrestling moves that Sam had showed him, so I made myself comfortable on a smooth boulder and watched the boys act like animals. Angela arrived soon after, carrying all her paperwork and camera to work on her little project. As a nice surprise, Rachel and Rebecca made it home for the weekend for the bonfire, and were spending some time with Billy and the other elders.

In no time, the food came out. The guys hovered over all the meat and sides like dogs, making me burst out in laughter at their primal behavior. After everyone got their plates, we all circled around the large bonfire. I explained to Angela that at this time, everyone listened to the elders of the tribe as they told us stories of the past: how their people migrated to this land hundreds of years ago, how they survived great wars and droughts, and the need for family ties to keep the tribe strong. I knew most of the legends by now, just from what Jake told me over the years. But I never got tired of hearing them again. The Quileutes had a very rich, interesting history.

"As you know, this year is the year of the wolf," Billy began. I filled my mouth with some delicious pork chops a la Emily while Angela stared wide-eyed at Billy, hanging on every word as he continued. "Many of us already know the legends of our tribe and how we are connected to the wolf. But since this year is special, I will retell our story in celebration. We are decedents of an elite type of man. Men who could change form in order to protect their people. Our people. They were known as Spirit Warriors. The first was Kahelaha. He spurned many generations of shifters, which helped our people grow in population from their protection. Our direct ancestor is Taha Aki, tribal chief and powerful spirit warrior. He perfected being a spirit warrior, allowing himself to change into that of a wolf. Before, our people could shift out of their bodies like ghosts, but now, they could change into solid creatures that, when, needed, could fortify our land.

"Around that time, our people came across a powerful new enemy: the cold ones. They survived off the blood of humans, preying on our people day and night. They were merciless creatures, caring nothing for human life, with no souls or salvation. We had many wars between them, and we always won. Generations ago, my grandfather, Ephraim Black came across cold ones for the first time in nearly a century, which spurred the change once again. You see, when predators are not in the area, we do not need our ability to shift. But when we are in danger, when our land is in danger, we gain that ability, as the legends say. So when new cold ones trespassed on our land, Ephraim took to action, hunting them down. Since then, we have kept our people safe from them, and any other threats to our tribe."

Angela was writing up a storm in her notebook in between taking shots of Billy as he spoke. I almost laughed at her determination. They were just stories, after all.

After the stories were retold, Jared and Paul brought out their guitars and started jamming out some music for all of us to dance to. Jake wouldn't leave my side, asking me to dance a total of five times before I finally gave in. I didn't want to lead him on, but he was a sweet kid. Angela got all the info she needed and left early, thanking Billy and the other elders for inviting her. She told me she would see me Monday, and wished me luck for Sunday. As the party died down, I found myself walking along the beach with Jake, commenting on the day and how much a hit my brownies were.

"It's nice seeing you smile again, Bella," he said, kicking shells with his bare feet as we walked. "You've been so down lately. Dad told me about what happened at school. I wish I could tear those bastards apart for you."

Ugh. I should've known Charlie would tell Billy. "Eh, it's life, Jake. I'm used to it."

"Doesn't mean it's right!" he growled. "Sorry," he soothed when I jumped. "I just get so pissed when I know they're treating you like crap. You don't deserve it." He was trying his best to comfort me.

"Thanks, Jake. I know that. I only have another year to go, then I'm outta here." I flung my hand outwards like a plane at the end of my sentence. He frowned when I said that.

"Still planning on moving away?" I dropped my hand and sighed.

"Yeah. I'm thinking about maybe going back down to Phoenix or maybe San Francisco. Ya know, somewhere sunny and warm, where no one will know me. A fresh start." Jake was quiet for a while after that. I did feel bad, knowing that I'd be leaving him, and Charlie, behind. But I needed to get away from my past here in Forks. Start new somewhere else on my own.

"I heard you were hanging with the Cullens now…" he said out of nowhere. Where did that come from?

"Sorta. Why?"

"I dunno, Bells. Something's not right with them. Just…be careful, kay?"

I stopped walking. "Are you seriously warning me, Jake? That's ridiculous. They've been nothing but kind to me this past week! Emmett was nice enough to even clean up my truck free of charge!"

"I could've done that, Bells! You know that. You don't need them!" he barked at me, startling me. I saw his arms shaking and he turned to look at me, fury boiling in his eyes.

"Okay, listen. I'm being careful for my own reasons, so don't freak out. I don't even know if I'm friends with them."

"You're hanging with them tomorrow, aren't you? I heard you telling Ange about it."

"Damnit, Jake. What I do is my business, not yours. Yes, I was invited to their house tomorrow. So what? Chill the fuck out!" I growled now, not liking being interrogated. I had no idea where this anger came from, and I didn't like Jake's tone. He had no control over who I spent my time with. We stared at each other, both breathing heavy and angry, for a while in the night. It wasn't until we heard our fathers calling us that we changed demeanors and went back to the houses. Neither one of us said another word to each other as Charlie and I left, and I felt glad for that. Where was Jake getting off, telling me what to do?

Charlie tried to press why I was in such a bad mood all of a sudden, but I told him it was just Jake being immature. I reminded him I was going out the next day, on a "study date" with Alice Cullen. I told him I'd call him if I planned on staying for dinner or anything. That night, I was restless in my bed, having nightmares of Jake as a wolf, paired with meeting a cold one on La Push beach. Then I saw myself getting egged by Mike and Jessica in the school parking lot, before a pack of wolves descended and pulled them apart in front of me.

When I finally woke up, I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I looked horrible. And felt it too. But I needed to hide that. I was going to spend the day at the Cullen's. With Alice. And maybe Edward, also. Oddly enough, I forgot all about my nightmares after that.


	3. Now, That's a Surprise

**Chapter III.**

**Now, _That's_ a Surprise.**

Edward messaged me his address over Facebook that morning. After showering and getting dressed, I double checked myself in the mirror. No black bags under my eyes. I put my hair in a messy bun, liking how some strands hung over the sides of my face. I wore a grey camisole with a black jacket over it, with black jeans and my converse sneakers. The Cullens always dressed so nice, so I figured a tshirt and ripped jeans would look terrible. After reassuring Charlie that there was left over meatloaf in the fridge for him, I left the house and headed to the outskirts of town. Their house was in the middle of one of the forest patches, which was kinda cool. It was secluded, much like I wished I was. It was raining by the time I hit their million-mile long driveway.

Trying to describe their house would be impossible by the English standard language, but I'll try my best. In short, it was HUGE. Two stories. With balconies on each side. Large paneled windows outlined the first floor, reminding me of the glass house fable. I wondered what would happen if I threw a stone or two…

There was a beautiful garden in the front, with a rainbow of flowers and plants. I saw a black Mercedes by the garage, parked in front of Edward's Volvo. Goodie. He was home. I pulled up behind the Volvo, swearing under my breath as I realized I had forgotten my umbrella at home. I got to introduce myself soaking wet to the family. Just great. I leaned down to pick up my bag, which held some left over brownies I snuck in before leaving the house. When I sat back up, I heard a knocking sound and saw Edward standing outside my door; holding an open umbrella. I cried out in surprise, making him laugh in the rain.

"Good afternoon, Bella," he said as I rolled down my window.

"Jeez, do you intentionally try to stop my heart?" I exclaimed; irritated at how he got to me so easily.

"Not at all," he replied calmly, yet I thought I detected sadness in his tone. "Come, before the rain gets worse. Alice is driving us all crazy." Awesome. Energetic Alice. I grabbed my bag and slid out of the truck. Edward was a perfect gentleman, making sure no rain fell on me as he led me to his house. "Esme made a late lunch if you are interested."

Hm. That did sound good. "I hope she didn't do it because of me. I don't want to impose anything."

"She loves to cook. It's rare for us to have many visitors, so she takes all the opportunity she can get."

He led me to the front door, shaking the umbrella masterfully before urging me inside. The outside did no justice compared to the inside of the house. It was wide. Various art pieces that looked very expensive adorned the tall, castle-like walls around us. The floors were wood and slick with wax. I could see the woman I recognized in one of Edward's pictures working in the large kitchen across the way. Alice glided down the stairs at our side like a ballerina, beaming with excitement.

"Bella! I'm so happy you came!" She pulled me into a tight hug. She noticed my bag and shook her head at me. "You didn't need to bring anything, you know."

How did she know I did? "Oh, it's just some leftover brownies I made from yesterday. I felt bad coming over without bringing something."

"You can place them in the kitchen if you'd like," I heard the voice of who I assumed to be Esme Cullen as she walked into the entryway, wiping her hands on the small apron draped around her slender waist. She was absolutely beautiful, looking no older than twenty five or twenty six. She was wearing a simple black gown and black flats, her chestnut hair bouncing against her shoulders while she smiled at me warmly. "It's a delight to have you here, Isabella."

"Just Bella, please," I corrected. "Thank you for having me."

"Forgive me, Bella. I made some sandwiches and salad if you would like some."

"We can take it upstairs, Esme!" Alice replied for me, taking my hand and leading me into the living room. I saw Emmett tackling a fighting game against Jasper on the television. Rosalie was reading a magazine, partially watching him with disinterest.

"Yo, Bella. How's your truck?" Emmett asked without skipping a beat, staring at the screen.

"It purrs like a lion. Thanks again, Emmett." I thought I saw Rosalie smile at my comment.

"No sweat. DAMNIT JASPER! That was a CHEAP SHOT!" Emmett bellowed while Jasper snickered.

"Emmett, language!" Esme scolded from behind us. Emmett looked sheepish as he hung his head.

"Sorry, Mom." Alice yanked my arm into the kitchen, telling me to make a plate of food to take to her room.

"What about you?" I asked looking at her and Edward, who was keeping a distance behind us.

"Already ate," he replied.

"I'm on a special diet, so I only eat certain foods and had my lunch already," Alice said. I took out the brownies and put them on the island. Alice handed me a plate and I took a turkey, ham, and cheese sandwich with some salad and two brownies. I was so nervous that morning that I had forgotten to eat.

"So what's on the agenda today?" I wondered aloud, looking at Alice as she grinned at me.

"Well, I was hoping we could maybe do makeovers. You know, mani-pedis and hair and stuff." I cringed. Was she serious? I haven't gotten my nails done since Renee forced me to a spa day one summer. Alice looked so…_happy_…about it. I couldn't refuse.

"Take it easy on me," I said. She nodded while Edward shook his head. With that, she grabbed me again, like I was her ragdoll, and led me upstairs, Edward in tow.

"Girls only! Sorry, Edward!" Alice grinned as she opened her bedroom door. It looked amazing inside. My mouth fell open when I saw the extravagant bed with yellow and black covers, a mini chandelier above it. A giant vanity was at the side; the top covered with various cosmetics. She had a computer with a television-sized monitor and candles all over the place. Even the flooring was covered in black shag carpeting. I literally was walking into a magazine ad.

"Don't traumatize the poor girl, Alice," Edward warned, which made me smile a little. Alice made a raspberry noise and closed her door.

"So, what do you want to do first?"

Girl-time with Alice wasn't nearly as apocalyptic as I imagined. She gave me the works: painted my toes neon green, my finger nails black and silver, played dressed up with me in different outfits, and tried out various hairstyles. All the while we talked about school, college, and boys. Though, I admit, I had very little to contribute in the boys department. Who wanted to date Smelly Belly? Let alone the chief's daughter?

Alice told me she was jealous of my long, thick hair, because she could do anything with it. Eventually, we both decided to keep it in a French braid-like style that curled into a bun. She put me in a long-puff, cashmere, blue, turtle-neck sweater and skinny black jeans. A silver loop-belt was hooked around my waist, and she put some makeup on my face.

"Can I see myself yet, Alice? Please?" I implored, getting antsy in my chair. The crazy pixie wouldn't let me see myself until everything was in its right place. I felt bad for any fashion industry that hired her. She was seriously one hell of a force to be reckoned with!

"Annnnnnnd done! You look drop-dead gorgeous!" Alice beamed, moving away from the mirror. The young woman staring back at me in the glass looked nothing like me. I was aghast with my change. She was refined, confident, and radiant. Like a model. This wasn't plain Bella Swan.

"Wow…" It was the first and only word I coherently came up with.

"No problem! You have so much potential, Bella. You just needed to see it for yourself. Don't listen to what those jerks say in school. You're fabulous! Come on, let's show you off!" I started to blush from her statements. I got up before she could yank me (no need to ruin the evidently expensive top) and we went downstairs. I heard muffled music playing nearby as we reached the living room. The rich smell of blueberry pie wafted in the air, making my stomach rumble. Was Esme cooking again? How much time had gone by? I hid behind Alice as she smiled at Jasper, who was now reading a book at the edge of the couch, while Emmett and another blond watched a football game.

"Whoa…is that _you_, Bella?" Emmett gasped, staring at me like a deer caught in headights. I shrank in response, hating the attention.

"Um. Yeah. She did it!" I exclaimed, pointing to Alice frantically.

"Amazing job, Hon. You look great, Bella," Jasper complimented. The blond I didn't know smiled warmly as us, getting to his feet and approaching. Alice moved away from me as he held out his hand.

"Good evening, Bella. I'm Carlisle. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said in a very gentle voice. I could see how the hospital staff swooned over him time and time again. Like Esme, he looked very young. Dr. Cullen had slick-back pale-blond hair and was very well-built for a doctor. I took a moment; thinking about how all the Cullens had the same golden eyes. They were all unrelated, though, so what was that about? Did they all wear contacts or something? Or maybe it was a weird pigment thing…

I took his hand, returning his smile.

"Thanks, Carlisle." It felt weird calling a doctor by his first name.

"Where are Rosalie and Edward?" Alice asked, probably wanting to show off her life-size Barbie some more.

"Rosalie is out…shopping…" Emmett said. "And Eddie is playing for Mom, of course." He pointed down a narrow hallway I failed to notice before, in the direction of where the music was coming from.

"Wonderful! Let's go, Bella. Edward's going to lose his mind when he sees you!" Um, why would his opinion matter? I felt nauseous at the mention. Did Alice think I liked him? Well, I did, I guess, a lot, but…

The piano notes became clearer as we walked into a very large room. It was dark at first, with the only light coming from a few small windows at the far end of the room. I saw Esme first, sitting in a posh grey loveseat, looking relaxed as she watched on. My eyes followed her gaze and found Edward playing a grand piano. The exact same one I saw on his Facebook. Again, I forgot to breathe while I listened to the amazing sounds of his playing. He was an artist. It was beautiful. The low notes were amidst a haunting melody that churned around me like a ghost. Then, it surged into a cluster of higher notes and a faster pace, making it a lighter, happier tune.

"Ahem!" Alice coughed loudly, forcing Edward to stop and for him, along with Esme, to look over at us. I think it was harder having them look at me than the others; especially Edward. His eyes seemed to darken, if that's even possible, as they took in my appearance. For that moment, it was just the two of us in that room. There was something in his face as he looked at me; like he wanted to take me for himself. That I belonged to him. This was too weird. Too much like my dreams. If only he really liked me that way.

"Bella, you look magnificent!" Esme cried, coming over and hugging me gently.

"Thanks, Esme," I replied bashfully. "Edward, your playing was awesome. You're very talented," I complimented, breaking the tension between the two of us. He tore his gaze away from me and smiled, standing up.

"It wasn't anything too special, just Esme's favorite song I wrote for her."

"You…you _wrote_ that?" A potential model for GQ _and_ a musician who could create his own work? What the hell was he doing in Forks? The surprised expression on his face mirrored my own shock. He looked as though he was blushing, yet I didn't see any color tint in his cheeks.

"Looks like it's time for my pie to be almost ready," Esme said. "I hope you like chicken, Dear," she added, turning to me. "I made a chicken and bean casserole earlier for dinner."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds great, actually." Clearly they expected me to stay for dinner. I'd have to call Charlie.

"I'll help you with the pie, Mom, and make Emmett call Rosalie so she can hurry home," Alice chirped, walking behind Esme as she exited the music room. Thus, Edward and I were alone. Together. Craptastic.

"So…" My fingers fumbled amongst each other at my stomach as I looked at Edward nervously. He placed down the cover over the ivory keys, never leaving me with his eyes. "How long have you been playing piano?"

"A very long time," he replied quietly.

"You should study music or something when you graduate," I commented as he walked over to me.

He narrowed his eyes subtly, watching me like I would break any second. "You think so?" The corner of his mouth curved upwards. I hiccupped. God, could I be any more unattractive?

"Y-yeah. Totally. I'd buy your first album," I blurted, feeling the familiar heat rising in my face. Edward grinned like a young boy.

"Well then, I'll have to keep that career idea in mind," he said, brushing against my arm lightly as he passed me at the doorway. There was shock that washed over me from that spot of contact. I felt it through the sweater. Did he feel it, too?

Before I could process what just happened, a loud gurgle erupted in my stomach. I gasped in embarrassment as Edward looked over his shoulder at me. "Time to feed the Bella, I presume?" He arched an eyebrow in amusement, playing on a phrase I used in our online conversation. I blushed more, nodding and walking behind him back into the living room. Alice exchanged glances with Edward, which was a little odd, but I ignored it by remembering to call Charlie.

"Excuse me real quick," I said as I dashed up to Alice's room to grab my cell. After explaining to Charlie how to heat up the meatloaf in the oven, I walked back out of the hallway to see Edward's bedroom door cracked open. Curiosity filled me as my flats tip-toed towards the room. In the sliver that was exposed, I saw an elaborate shelf full of compact discs and vintage records. What did Edward really listen to? I nibbled on the edge of my bottom lip as I neared the door, reaching out to push it open further, when I heard Alice shriek for me to come and eat.

My shoulder slumped in defeat and I shook my head. _What the heck are you thinking, Swan? If Edward caught you in his room he'd think you were a stalker freak! Like you need that in the school's repertoire of lies! _I sprinted down the stairs and saw everyone seated at the dining room table, including Rosalie. I sat between Edward and Emmett, eyeing all the delicious food in front of me.

"Esme, this looks spectacular, thank you," I said. She gave me a beautiful smile.

"You're very welcome, Bella. I hope you like it."

I dove in, trying my hardest to ignore the tingly sensation that was rupturing my body since I was next to Edward. The others ate slowly, focusing more on banter about their weekend. Emmett was going on and on about the football game, which was helpful since I could relay some sort of opinion to Charlie when I went home. Carlisle told us a story about a cancer patient he was working with; a little six year old girl who had just finished chemotherapy for stomach cancer. I felt myself tear up as he described how strong she was and excited to go back to kindergarten. Esme shared a bit about the blueprints she was working on for a friend's house in Vancouver. When Edward asked me what I did the day before, I told them about the Quileute bonfire. They all seemed to tense as I mentioned it, but remained polite. Edward specifically seemed to go rigid in his seat. Carlisle cut in, asking me if I had any ideas on what I wanted to do for college, since the time to start planning was now. After that, the conversation went back to being light. Esme insisted that I eat as much pie as I could manage, and packed up some for me to take to Charlie.

Feeling like I was pregnant with a large food baby, I felt it was time for me to go home. Alice frowned, and then told me to keep the outfit when I went to change. I outright refused, saying I couldn't take another set of her clothes like that. But I learned really fast not to argue with Alice. I lost miserably. I gathered my things from her room and saw Edward waiting for me at the front door with his trusty umbrella. I never noticed that it was still raining outside. It seemed like I stepped into a completely different world when I entered the Cullen home. It felt…nice. Here was a family that welcomed me in with open arms, never judging, never interrogating. They were civil, close, and polite. It was refreshing. And I was sad to leave.

"Shall I walk you to your car?" Edward asked while I slipped on my jacket. He opened the door and led me out after I said my goodbyes. The rain was a bit harder than earlier in the day, so Edward stood closer to me to make sure I remained dry. Everything that happened in the last six days was really starting to bother me, so I decided to confront him about it as we got to my truck.

"Edward, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Bella. What is it?" I lowered my head, staring at my keys in my hand.

"What's the real reason for all of this?" I didn't buy the previous answer. Felt too much like a cop out. I needed the truth.

"What do you mean? I don't understand." Forcing myself to look upwards, I saw his golden eyes glaze with worry. Even in the darkening sky, under heavy rain, he looked like a model. Sexy. Mysterious. Out of this world. And completely untouchable by someone like me.

Gulping deeply, I pressed on. "This. You and Alice and me. Being friends, if that's what you can call it. Walking with me to classes, offering me rides. Inviting me over. Your family has never interacted with anyone in school since you moved here. Why me? Why now? Please, if this is a prank, if you are in cahoots with the blondette twins, just tell me now…" I was shaking now; the jingling of my keys in my palm made that clear. Edward took a step forward, scaring me enough to make me back up against the driver side door. Was he going to laugh in my face? Were Mike and Jessica going to pop out from the trees? I've dealt with a lot in my life…if this was all just one big joke at my expense, I wasn't sure if I could take it this time.

"Bella," Edward spoke my name like he was in pain as his face inched closer to mine. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, alluring me. My face was on fire, my heart was pounding, and I thought I would vomit everything I just ate. His cool breath tickled my nose as his lips lightly grazed mine. There was an electric current that jolted through my entire body. His lips were cold, but soft when they pressed against my own. They melded together, like clay. His free hand touched the small of my back and he slowly thrust himself against me. I felt his hard chest underneath his shirt, how sculpted it was. Too many feelings were exploding in my body for me to move. Then, his tongue was tracing my bottom lip, begging for entrance. Without hesitation, I parted my mouth and felt him invade. It was exploratory, unforced, and heart-melting. I was working on instinct alone, letting him take control.

Then, like a steam truck had slammed into my face, realization dawned on me: Edward was kissing me! Kissing _me!_ My first real kiss! Oh my god!

Suddenly, I couldn't breathe, and I pushed him off of me, gasping for air. Small puffs floated between us from my shallow breaths. Thoughts were racing in my head like wildfire, and it took a minute for my nerves to reconfigure so my brain could control my mouth again. The look in Edward's eyes should have terrified me. They were darker than before, almost deep amber (like the kind you'd see with fossils inside), and they looked at me like I was food.

"Bella, I…" Edward started to speak, but I was too scared to listen.

"I need to g-go..." I stammered, immediately unlocking my truck door and getting inside. The engine roared as I turned the key and pulled out of the driveway, leaving Edward staring at me as he stood on the pavement, lowering the umbrella; a look of devastation on his beautiful face. On the drive home, all I could think about was that kiss. It was hot. It was heavy. It was like the constellations all aligned and fireworks exploded and volcanoes erupted. And what did I do in response? I left Edward in the rain like a complete bitch.

What had I done?


	4. Arguments, Alice, and Angst, Oh My!

**Author's Note:** I bet you're all going to have a heart attack from so many updates so soon! It's because I have about 5-6 chapters already done and want them up! And to make up for last chapter's shortness, this one is twice as long. Thanks for all the feedback. Hope you didn't hate Bella too much by the end of the last chapter. This one makes up for it. Trust me. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter IV.<strong>

**Arguments, Alice, and Angst, Oh My!**

Monday. Ugh. I despised Mondays. They represented the start of a new, harassment-filled week at school. Another week of mindless babble from my teachers, homework that I'd slave over for hours, and living in silent fear that I'd be stuck in this town for the rest of my life. However, this Monday was going to be excruciatingly more painful than the rest. Why? Because I'd be sitting next to Edward Cullen in biology, after effectively rejecting him. All night I tried to reason why I ran away. It all came down to one conclusion.

I was scared. Scared of what he wanted from me. Scared of what I wanted from him. Scared of what this all meant. What everyone at school would say. What Charlie would say. I mean, I know the guy for over a year, sort of, am partnered with him for over a month and he decides that _now_ is the time to approach me? Then kiss me less than a week later? Maybe all of this _was_ a prank to mess with me. Maybe he planned this whole thing: operation make-Bella-hate-herself-even-more. Love-em and leave-em. Wait. Where did love come into this? I definitely was _not_ in love with Edward Cullen. Crushed on him, sure. Every straight female in school did. Nothing else, though. No way.

The anger I felt from a week prior started to bubble in the pit of my stomach once again. I wasn't going to show any weakness in front of Edward. If this was a joke, I'd prove to them all that I was stronger. I pulled into the school parking lot with a vengeance, keeping my pokerface as I walked into the school. I felt all eyes on me, but blasted some Linkin Park (appropriate to fuel my anger) and continued on my way. The Cullens were probably enmeshed in those stares, though I didn't care. They won't see me break. I wasn't going to. Not in public, anyway.

Of course, bad luck always seemed to bite me in the ass.

For a hauntingly familiar sight welcomed me at my new locker. Jessica and Lauren were standing shoulder to shoulder, shooting daggers at me with their eyes. They didn't look too pleased, yet that changed as soon as they spotted me.

Fuck my life. Sideways.

"Hey, Whore. How'd your weekend go?" Lauren squealed with an ugly grin on her overly-made up face.

"I suggest you move from my locker before I report you to the principal," I said tensely, not in the mood to deal with them.

"Aw, Lauren. It sounds like Belly here is in a bad mood. Maybe it was because she got dooped by Cullen? I have to say that guy has balls," Jessica hissed while giving me a knowing glare. I clenched my iPod tightly at her words.

Dooped. By. Cullen.

Did she know about last night? That Edward kissed me? Oh god, it _was_ a prank! All color drained from my face as the twins cackled.

"Why didn't I think of it before? Man, I wish I was there to see that!" Lauren giggled.

"It was a smart plan. I should go and hug him or something," Jessica said. They shot me additional glares as they walked off, laughing down the hallway.

I think my heart shattered at that point. The pieces incinerated in the fire that burst from my gut. All the talking. All the looks. Everything was a lie. A joke. A game. My feet took off towards the bathroom, and I spent the next five minutes expunging my breakfast in the toilet, wanting nothing more than to go home and lay in bed for the rest of my life.

Damn my being such a good student. The warning bell rang for first period, and I dragged myself out of the stall, popped in a couple mints from my bag, fixed my hair, and walked silently to my first class. Whispering carried on around me for the first few classes of my day. Everyone knew about Edward and me. Knew that I left. My new nickname that day was "the runaway skank". Creative. Angela tried to comfort me as she pleaded for me to join her and Eric in lunch, but I just couldn't bring myself to sit in the same cafeteria as that family. Before she walked in there, I handed her a bundle, asking her to please return it to Alice for me.

The library was quiet. It was safe. My small corner was waiting for me as I hunched over, resting my back against the wall and pulled out my laptop. After logging into Facebook, I went to my friends page and looked for Edward's name to delete it. I was so tired of being made a fool of. What did I do to deserve it? Being at the Cullens felt so wonderful, too. It was the first time since hanging out at La Push that I felt like myself. I knew it was too good to be true. Who wanted to be chummy with me, anyway? Why would anyone, especially Edward Cullen, be interested in me?

Tears spilled over my keyboard and the screen blurred. Damnit, I was crying. The wall I had built around myself for so long cracked finally and I began to sob. There was a ding from my computer, and I looked up, rubbing my eyes and snorting up whatever snot threatened to drip from my nose.

_Bella, would it be possible for us to talk?_

It was Edward. What was he doing online at lunch? I snorted. He probably had an expensive iPhone that let him use Facebook. Go figure. I felt conflicted as I tried to sort out an answer.

_Where?_

I let out a deep sigh. A confrontation online didn't settle right with me. If he wanted a scene, I'd give him one.

_The back exit of the library? _How did he know I was here?

"Angela…" I groaned under my breath.

_Fine._ I shut off my laptop and snuck down the spiral stairs that led to the bottom level of the library, which was mainly for storage. The only times I used it where for those stupid "how to use the library" scavenger hunts. I searched for the exit door, and low-and-behold, there was Edward, pacing back and forth across the small window. He was pulling at his hair and he looked upset. I wondered where the audience was. Maybe he was going to record this and post it on Youtube. The pokerface was back as I opened the door, looking at him with disdain.

"I'm here, so talk."

Edward looked…well…he looked awful.

"Bella, I am so sorry," he said, running one of his hands through his hair and biting on his lip furiously. "I didn't mean to be so forward last night. I just…the way you looked, you were so happy and relaxed…I…then after hearing from Angela what people have been saying to you after she gave Alice back the clothes…"

Alright, this was getting annoying. "I'm not impressed. If you were going all the way with this, you should've been more original." He stopped mid-pace and gawked at me.

"What?"

My sneaker tapped the ground restlessly as I crossed my arms. It was getting harder to stay angry. Even as a prick, he was hot.

"Come on. You're intelligent. Where is your phone? Recording this little convo? Don't expect me to say what you want so it can go viral. I'm not breaking for you. Not for you, not for the blonde bitches, or anyone else in this school. I'm sick of being played!"

His face fell and I feared his eyes may pop out of his head. Really, Cullen? Still keeping up the charade? What's the point?

"Bella, I wasn't _playing_ you. I never thought of you that way. I do not understand how anyone found out about your visit to my home last night, but I assure you, there was nothing but good intentions upon your invitation. Alice was deeply hurt when she saw that you did not want her clothing. She considers you a friend."

"Well, you can tell _Alice_ that I don't need her charity. Or yours, for that matter." Edward's face twisted into that of irritation.

"We weren't providing charity to you. Alice likes doing nice things for people. She's a little over the top, but she liked doing that for you."

No. You're not getting me to back down. Guilting me won't work.

"Then explain to me why you all waited until now to become my _friends_, if that's what you truly are."

"I…" he seemed like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself.

"Exactly. Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, Edward, but I will not be falling for your bullshit any longer." It was nice when it lasted, though. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to get to P.E." I pivoted to open the door when I felt his hand on my wrist. His skin was freezing cold, sending shivers throughout my arm. How could he be so cold?

"Bella, I avoided you because it is not...safe…for you to be around me." Edward's voice was very serious and dark, freezing me as my hand rested on the doorknob. I followed his hand up to his face, which was lowered, hiding his eyes from me.

"I don't understand…" I whispered.

Edward turned to me, his eyes filled with confusion. "Please Bella, forgive me. I cannot explain everything to you, as much as I'd like to. Can you try to trust me? For Alice's sake, if nothing else. She's crushed. You are the first person here to really accept her vibrancy."

_He looks so sincere. He can't be lying, can he?_

"For Alice's sake," I repeated. Edward let go of my hand, muttering a thank you. My eyes burned with the fury that still resided. Nonetheless, something deep in the back of my mind told me to listen to him. Give him a chance to redeem himself. We were quiet while we both walked through the library. At this point, lunch was almost over, so without so much as even a goodbye, I left Edward in the hallway.

Physical Education was never my strongest class. I am a bonified klutz. It made me an easy target at any game we played. Another reason I hated this particular Monday was because it was the beginning of the next section: volleyball. Snickers were abounding as we set up for the first game. Being distracted didn't help much on my end, since I kept missing the ball or hitting it too low. It was tragic. Mike was in my P.E. class, and he definitely had a vendetta against me, seeing as he made the ball hit me square on the head multiple times. He played nice for the coach and didn't get in trouble for it. What a shocker. I had a shiny bruise on the side of my forehead by the end of the period, and I was wincing my whole way to biology. Edward was late this time, walking in just before the bell rang, holding the bundle I had given to Angela at lunch. He laid it on the table, looking over at me with a frown.

"What happened to your forehead?" he asked, sounding like I lost an arm or something.

"Volleyball and I don't mix," I said sourly, dreading the throbbing headache I was bound to get. One of his hands rose in the air in my direction, and I tensed as his cold fingers rubbed along the darkening bruise. He pulled away a few strands of my hair, setting them behind my ear. I had to admit that his touch felt soothing to my forehead. As if he was a human icepack. The moment was becoming increasingly awkward, and Banner had yet to come in, so my eyes fell to the bundle to change the subject.

"I take it Alice wants me to have the clothes back," I mentioned. Edward leaned back in his chair and nodded.

"She was relieved to hear she didn't lose your friendship because of me. I was scolded pretty badly before class." That brought a small smile to my face. Edward deserved it. I imagined the little pixie smacking him in the face, screaming at him. I laughed to myself, eliciting a strange glance from him just as Banner finally walked in, holding a stack of papers.

"Pop quiz, everybody!" Mr. Banner exclaimed. We all groaned and whined in unison. I always hated his pop quizzes. They were trivial, way too picky, and heavily worded. The man thought biology was like a mantra we needed to live by. The headache came in full force as I spent the entire period scribbling down my answers. Edward, on the other hand, finished early. Nothing new there. I noticed in the last month or so, how he would fill out worksheets slowly, yet I could tell that he knew all the answers. I knew he was intelligent, but it caught me off guard how he seemed to anticipate the quizzes and answers.

A heavy sigh escaped me as the bell rang. Everyone shuffled out the door, equally relieved that the quiz was over. Knowing how distracted I've been the past week, I knew I probably did poorly on it. While in the hallway, I saw black spikes in the distance. Alice was coming towards me at full blast with Jasper at her side. He seemed pained again, but less like he had been in the past. Alice's golden eyes sparkled with joy as she grabbed my hand.

"Oh, Bella, I'm so glad we're okay. My pompous ass of a brother doesn't think sometimes," she said as she shot Edward a wicked glare. In the corner of my eye I saw him shrug. "I was wondering if maybe we could have a sleepover this weekend? I was thinking about going to Port Angeles to shop for a Halloween costume and I need a girl's opinion. We can rent movies and order pizza if you want. Please?"

"Why can't you take Rosalie?" Edward sneered from behind me. I was surprised by his reaction, but Alice wasn't. Her face withered with disgust.

"Are you kidding? She won't want to come with me. Besides, Bella is much more down to earth. Rosalie would spend her time staring at her reflection," Alice explained. "So will you come? I promise not to go overboard." She was such a sweet person. Even though I was still pissed at Edward, I couldn't fault Alice for wanting to make friends. With a shrug, I made a smile and said okay. "Great! I can pick you up around 2. Does that sound alright?"

"Sure, Alice." Edward suddenly stomped off, giving us all the cold shoulder. "What's his issue?" I asked. Jasper shook his head as Alice pressed her lips together tightly.

"Don't worry about him. He's just being broody. It's his thing," she said. We both rolled our eyes simultaneously, which resulted in the three of us laughing. It was nice, feeling like I belonged somewhere again. For whatever strange reason, I got that feeling around the Cullens.

The week flew by pretty fast. Edward resumed walking with me to my classes when Alice or Angela didn't. I was invited to eat with the Cullens at lunch, but I didn't want to leave Eric and Angela hanging, so I declined. The teasing went back to normal levels, most likely because the asses didn't want to get busted again so soon. My guard wasn't down, however. In my head I knew the conniving teens were up to something.

Another weird thing about Edward came to my attention as the week went by. His eyes seemed to change color. They were getting darker, blacker. Maybe the Cullens had some sort of eye deficiency.

Charlie worked double shifts at the station because a few of his men were sick with the flu, so I fended for myself most nights at home. I caught up on my _Law and Order_ obsession, finished _Wuthering Heights_, and got ahead on my homework so I wouldn't worry about it over the weekend. On Thursday, I received an apology email from Jake. He said he was pissed off about something else and didn't mean to act like a douchebag towards me. He hoped I could forgive him. I sent him back an email with a middle finger image and a heart. He'd know we were fine. Sometimes I forgot how much younger Jacob was compared to me. In age it wasn't too bad, but in maturity level, he was still very much a kid. I couldn't hate him forever because of a tantrum.

Every night that week I had more dreams about Edward. Each time I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling like I was being watched. No one was in my room, so I choked it up to being freaked out. The dreams were often scary, involving Edward either teasing me alongside Mike or Lauren and Jessica, or luring me into a dark forest and abandoning me. Sometimes, the dreams were like Disney movies, with him sweeping me off my feet like a prince and carrying me off towards the sunset in his arms. Either way, I was going insane. I dreamed about our kiss, how magical I thought it was. I started to question what it meant, since Edward apparently didn't mean any harm. Did that mean he liked me?

_Get a hold of yourself, Swan. You're overanalyzing. It probably meant nothing. Like an in-the-moment thing._

Then the words he said to me at the library: how it wasn't safe to be around him. What did that mean? How was he unsafe? Too many questions. Argh!

I surprised Charlie Saturday morning with a chicken parmesan dish for his dinner. He pecked me on the forehead before heading out to fish with Billy, wishing me a good time with Alice. I tossed a few things in a bag and spent the rest of my morning watching television. Since I knew we were shopping, I put on comfortable clothes: my favorite pair of ripped jeans with patches, and a black shirt with a plaid button down over it. I rolled up the sleeves and had around my neck an old gold necklace that Renee gave me for one of my birthdays years back. My hair was frizzy that morning, so I tied it up in a ponytail. A honking horn from the front of my house got me away from the couch, and I ran outside to see a yellow Porsche. My jaw damn near hit the sidewalk.

"Alice?" I spat as I drank in the magnificence of her vehicle. She was grinning from ear to ear, motioning for me to get inside.

"What. Are. You. Wearing?" She exclaimed, looking at my clothing like they were cockroaches.

"Uh, clothes?" I replied with an arched eyebrow.

"Thank god you're friends with me," she said, slamming her foot on the gas petal. "You need so much help." We zoomed down the road, which scared the crap out of me. I begged for Alice to slow down, that we'd get arrested for going over a hundred miles per hour, but she just laughed at me and said to hold on.

The normal drive to Port Angeles was over an hour. We got there in twenty eight minutes (I timed it on my cell). This chick was nuts! As she parked, I held my chest, trying to compose myself. "Coming, Bella?" She called out as she emerged from the car.

"Jesus, give me a minute to restart my heart!" I growled, following behind her. "You drive like a maniac!"

"I like speed, is all. No worries. Come on, we have costumes to find!"

Shopping with Alice is an experience like no other. Malls are most definitely her element of comfort. We were going in and out of so many stores, I was getting dizzy. Before we even hit the costume stores, she insisted we check out some of her favorite clothing shops. The Cullens must be billionaires, considering that Alice didn't bat an eye as she mindlessly spent hundreds of dollars on insane amounts of clothes. She demanded I get some new outfits to replace my "raggedy excuses for clothing" as she put it. I liked my style, thank you! But like I mentioned before, there is no arguing with Alice. The sun was going down before we finally went into the mini costume outlet, where thousands of different costumes for all ages stood on racks and the walls. When asked what I wanted to be for her party, I had no clue. I didn't even think about it.

Halloween wasn't a big deal in the Swan home. Not since I was twelve. Charlie and I would give candy to the kids while watching bad horror movies on the tube. I had not dressed up since I last trick or treated. I was a bounty hunter. Charlie thought I was pretty cute, especially since Billy helped out with the outfit.

"You have to be something, Bella. Look at all the choices!" Alice danced around me, looking at various dresses and full-body costumes.

"How about you go first, then we worry about me?" I needed a break. Alice huffed but complied, grabbing a few things and changing. First she was Catwoman, which didn't really fit her personality. Next was a nurse's outfit, which I said made her look more like a prostitute than a medical aid. She laughed and agreed with that, saying Carlisle would probably lose his lunch if he saw her in it. I joked with her, mentioning that Jasper would probably enjoy it. Her next choice was Tinkerbell, mostly due to me telling her how I called her a pixie. She didn't want to wear a blonde wig, so she changed out of it. Finally, she put on a gypsy outfit, which was the best out of all of them. It was purple and gold and draped over her shoulders. It was a two-piece costume, leaving her belly somewhat visible above a matching long scissor skirt. We agreed on it being her best choice. Unfortunately, now I was next.

I was a pirate wench, a witch, a disco queen, a cop, and a princess before landing my final choice: a female mad hatter. It was really cool. I had a dark purple, velvet jacket with bright green stitching all around it. A black and red striped tank top would be worn underneath. There was a beige top hat with cards poking out of one side and green along the rim. In addition, there was a pair of matching purple pants that flared outwards at the bottom. It also came with a pair of fingerless gloves with the same stripes as the tank top. Alice found me black pump boots to wear with it.

The drive back to Forks was slightly less terrifying, probably since I was exhausted from the day. Alice suggested what movies we watch and promised to order some pizza, since we both forgot to eat at the mall. When we arrived, the garage was open and someone was tinkering underneath Emmett's jeep. I saw a pair of slender legs that definitely did NOT belong to Emmett. "Should we leave the stuff in the car, Alice?" I asked as we got out.

"Nope. I'll make Jasper and Emmett help! Don't let them see our costumes. I want it to be a surprise!" She giggled happily. As I walked over to the trunk, she ran inside to get her brothers. My curiosity got the best of me, and I peered around Alice's car to see who it was under the jeep. Was it Esme? I didn't picture her as the mechanic type.

"Damnit, Emmett. You push this car too hard," a feminine voice growled. I lost the ability to speak when I saw blonde hair appear in my view. There, rolling outwards on a skateboard, covered in grease and oil, was beauty-pageant-looking Rosalie Cullen. She was wiping her hands on a towel when she spotted me. "What?" Her lips curled as she snarled at me. I jumped, throwing my hands up in surrender.

"N-nothing!" I darted between her perfect body and the enormous jeep, and a thought popped into my head. "You were the one who fixed my truck, weren't you? Not Emmett."

"Very perceptive of you. Emmett doesn't know a wrench from a screwdriver," she responded with a whip of her long hair. Even dirty, she looked like a sports illustrated swimsuit model. What was with this family looking like that?

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," I said, cautiously walking towards her. Rosalie reminded me of a cougar while in school. She always had this snobby expression on her face, like she should be the highest regarded. I never expected her to be into cars. Getting dirty. All that. Seeing her like this made me think that maybe she wasn't as shallow as her image presented.

"And seeing me here does?" Her voice turned low, like she was barely interested in what I thought. Still snobby.

"Kinda. You don't seem like a mechanic." God, don't kill me. Or maim me. Or stare me down.

"Hmph," she snorted, laying the towel on a nearby bench. "Looks can be deceiving."

Heavy footsteps interrupted us as Emmett barreled through the garage door. Jasper and Alice were behind, their fingers entwined at their sides.

"Babe, did you fix that…well…whatever was wrong?" He scooted over to Rosalie and gave her puppy eyes, which on a guy his size, looked more intimidating than innocent.

"The bottom is still banged up pretty good from your little hunting adventure last night, but it'll still run. We'll have to get some fresh parts on Monday for me to completely fix it up," she explained while Alice and Jasper joined me at her car.

"So why did Edward lie about Emmett fixing my truck when it was really Rosalie?" I asked Alice stealthily when we reached the trunk.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but it could be that he was afraid of what you may think if you knew. Rosalie is quite skilled with vehicles, and it goes against her image around school. It's not something she advertises," Alice said thoughtfully.

"Would you have trusted Rosalie with your truck, if you knew?" Jasper asked. I frowned, knowing my answer. "Exactly. When you look at Emmett, he looks like he'd know the ins and outs of cars. In reality, he drives them and that's it."

"Huh, that's interesting," I murmured as we piled up the bags along our arms and hands. I followed them into the house, giving the couple a small appreciative smile as we passed. Esme was sitting in the living room, reading a cookbook while the Food Network was on.

"Did you girls enjoy your shopping trip?" she inquired.

"Indeed! We got our costumes for the party AND I helped Bella out with her wardrobe!" Alice sounded proud with herself as we walked through the room. Esme laughed lightly.

"I am sure she didn't need an overhaul, Alice."

"Pfft. You don't understand what she needs, Esme. Trust me," Alice smirked. I blushed as they spoke of me, hiding myself behind the stack of shoe boxes I held. "We'll just toss all this in my room for the time being, then we'll get settled for movies!"

"I can order the pizza for you, Dears. What do you like on yours, Bella?" Esme offered, standing up and straightening out her silver sweater dress.

"Uhm…pepperoni and green peppers? Is that okay?"

"That's fine. I'll call them right now. You girls get situated. The living room is all yours."

The couch felt inviting when we returned downstairs. Alice asked what we should start with first, and we agreed on _Spaceballs_. It's a classic and hilarious. Esme offered me some soda, and joined us. Jasper sat with us for a while, before Emmett challenged him to a match in _Halo_ up in his room. The pizza arrived just as we were quoting the scene about President Skroob's luggage combination. Alice told me again about her special diet, saying I could eat as much as I wanted. As we resumed the film, I wondered where Edward was. I hadn't seen him since we came. Alice picked up on my thoughts somehow, because she shrugged when I glanced over in the direction of the music room.

"He wanted to go to some book store in town."

"Huh?" I asked, playing dumb. Alice wasn't buying it.

"Bella, you're so easy to read sometimes, you know that? I know you were thinking about Edward."

I bit my lip, embarrassed beyond belief. Esme abruptly mentioned something about working on her floor plans and left us two alone. Oh, crap. Was Alice going to confront me about her brother?

"That obvious?" I whispered. Alice chuckled, patting my arm with her hand.

"I think it's adorable." Her answer was not what I was expecting. I stared at her blankly. "Just between you and me, I think he really likes you."

"He…what?" I mumbled.

"You must understand something, Bella. We used to live in Alaska, where not a lot of people resided. So, we kept to ourselves. When Carlisle got his job here in town, I was ecstatic. Finally, some _human _interaction!" Her emphasis on human was puzzling. "Anyway, when we started school here, and saw just how rude and cruel a lot of the other students were, we all decided to stick together. Edward was always a loner, so it was easy for him. He hates the heartthrob niche he got. The fact that all these girls fawn over him is repulsive." I nodded in understanding. He and I were the same in that regard. I'd been a loner my whole life. Neither one of us liked the attention we received in school.

'I'm sorry for thinking you guys wanted to pull a prank on me," I frowned.

"No, it's understandable. I think Edward had enough when he saw you tarred and feathered last week. I could sense that he wanted to help you, but didn't know how to approach you without scaring you. I always wanted to speak to you. You seem to be one of the few sane kids at school. I was too nervous to. That's my fault."

Man, was I such an idiot. Here I was thinking that these people only wanted to use me or hurt me, when they really just wanted to reach out to me.

"I'm glad we're friends, Alice," I said with a smile.

She turned to me and pulled me into a gentle, comfortable hug. "Me, too, Bella."

I think I needed to apologize to Edward when he came home.

Which he didn't until we were well into our second movie, _Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe._

"Isn't Peter just adorable?" Alice squeeked, clasping her hands together. I laughed, shaking my head.

"Nah. He's too dignified for me. Not to be creepy, but I love Mr. Tumnus. The actor is so good as him in this movie," I said as I popped some skittles that I bought earlier in my mouth. "He has such a thing for Lucy though. Dunno how I feel about that."

"Ew! She's like eight!" Alice giggled, and I joined in. Then we heard the front door open, and Edward walked in, carrying a couple books and looking frustrated. "Hey, dear brother-o-mine!" She chimed. I snickered while munching on more of my candy. Edward sulked as he walked into the living room, until he saw me. Then, it was like the sun rose over his face, because his golden eyes brightened. Wait, they were gold again? A big smile was plastered on his face.

"Hello, Bella. Did you two have fun today?" he asked while Alice paused the movie.

"It was an _experience_," I teased, nudging Alice as she scowled.

"Hey! Admit that you had fun with me. Trying on those costumes was awesome!"

"Sure, sure, Alice. Whatever you say," I joked.

"What did you decide on?" Edward asked both of us, though he was staring right at me. My cheeks grew hot.

"Nuh uh! It's a surprise. You'll have to wait until next Saturday." His exuberant sister shook her finger at him.

"What did you pick up? You have a collection there," I said, shifting the conversation on his books.

"Just some oldies that I wanted to read again," he said. I could see _Jane Eyre, 1984, _and _Frankenstein_ in the mix. All books I liked to read. Hmm. "Well, I'm exhausted, so I'll leave you guys to your little sleepover." My heart sank as he left. A part of me wanted to chase after him. I couldn't do that to Alice, though. Not after everything she's done for me today. She resumed the movie and we finished it with laughter and quoting. I yawned as the credits rolled.

"Oh, I forgot to show you the guest bedroom you can use tonight," Alice said. "It's the one before mine on the right. I put your bag in there."

"Sounds awesome. I think I'll hit the hay, actually." I stretched out my arms when I stood up.

"You're a lightweight!" She teased, sticking out her tongue at me.

"Whatever. See you in the morning," I shot back playfully, waving at Alice and walking upstairs. There was soft music playing down the hall, stemming from Edward's room. I dismissed it at first, dying to get into some pajamas. I packed my fleece grey and black checkered bottoms with a black tank top. The guest bedroom was amazing! It looked similar to Alice's, except the color scheme was blue and purple, with a smaller vanity and more windows. There was a guest bathroom, too, which I utilized. I brushed my teeth and detangled my mess of hair. My chest was tugging towards the direction of Edward's room as I approached the taunting bed. I should say I was sorry for treating him like I did. Alice's story made me feel so guilty; I knew I wouldn't sleep otherwise. His door was closed this time, so I held my breath as I knocked on it.

"Come in," I heard him say.

_You can do this. Just go in there and apologize. No harm, no foul. _

_But what if he really does like me, like Alice said? What if I broke him somehow?_

_Not a chance. He's fine. He's probably over you by now. _

_Stop it. Go in._

The door creaked as it opened inwards, revealing to me a mouth-watering looking Edward as he lay on his bed, reading one of his new books. He was in a pair of low-riding black pajama pants with a single drawstring that sat along his thigh. A tight white shirt was ruffled up a bit, exposing some of his pale skin at his side and stomach. I lost all control of my body as I just…_looked_ at him. "Bella? Is something the matter?" he asked, placing the book down on his nightstand, leaving it open so he wouldn't lose his spot.

Shaking my dirty thoughts out of my head, I leaned against the doorway nervously flicking my fingers against each other.

"Um, could we talk for a few minutes?" I asked, taking a sudden interest in the white carpet on his immaculate floor. The music went dead and I heard his bed squeak.

"Of course. Would you like a seat?" His voice called to me, and I looked at him patting next to himself on the bed. Wiling my heart to stop pounding, I joined him, sitting Indian-style at his side.

"I just wanted to say sorry for acting like a royal bitch last week. I was just really confused about everything and took it out on you," I explained, keeping my face down. I didn't want to see his reaction. It would be too devastating if it went wrong. What was I expecting, anyway? I didn't know.

"It is perfectly alright, Bella. I don't blame you for your reactions. But if it makes you feel better, you're forgiven," he said. I ached for him to touch me. Put a hand on my knee, or play with my hair. Anything to reassure me. He was tense, like whenever we sat in biology class. "Am I forgiven?" Edward's voice was above a whisper. I looked at him. His face was painfully beautiful.

"Yeah. I guess I was never really mad at you. But I'd like to ask you something. Well, a few things, if that's alright." Was it possible to get more tense? Edward did, I think.

"About what, exactly?"

"Well, first off, why did you decide to start being friends with me?" Please tell me it meant something to you. Or that you don't regret it.

"Pass." He turned away, pulling at his hair somewhat.

"What do you mean pass?" I scoffed, offended.

"I mean pass. Next question, please." What game was he playing now? My fingers flexed in my lap as I continued to watch him.

"Alright then. Why did you tell me you were unsafe?"

"Pass."

"No! That's an important question!"

"I said pass."

"Why is your skin so cold? Do you have bad circulation?"

"Pass, Bella."

"Ugh!" I moaned in irritation, smacking my thigh with one of my hands. I thought back to an easier, basic question. "Fine. Why do your eyes change colors?" Surely he could answer that one without being awkward.

"Excuse me?" His head snapped back and he glared at me.

"Your eyes…" I pointed to them, gulping. Why did I feel so scared all of a sudden? "They were darker yesterday, almost black. Now they're bright gold. And your whole family is like that, which is weird since you aren't all related…"

"They reflect light, that's all you are seeing," he sneered, looking away again. I saw the muscles in his forearms tense, which was scary and sexy at the same time. What the hell? We were silent for a minute while I tried to collect my thoughts.

"Why did you kiss me, Edward?" My voice was so soft, I wasn't sure if he even heard me. The bottom of my lip was becoming swollen from how much I was chewing on it.

"Bella, please stop doing that…" Edward begged. He turned his head back to me, and I was stunned by the intensity of his eyes as they focused on my lips. I pouted, shoving out my lip and held my breath as he reached over, grazing the sensitive skin with the pad of his thumb. I could hear my heart in my ears, banging against the drums like a cavalry charge. _The enemy is coming! The enemy is coming! Ready your positions!_ Every hair on my body stood on end as Edward leaned closer. So much of me wanted to run; the look in his eyes making me nauseous. A bigger part, one I'm just realized as existing, cheered me on from the sidelines. His cool breath teased at my chapping lips and his nose cautiously touched mine. "I feel protective of you, Bella…" he whispered before his lips collided with mine.

The hand that inspected my mouth ran down my neck slowly, leaving goose bumps in its wake. It was like his touch was freezing and burning me at the same time. It felt _so_ incredible. Foreign, in a good way. This kiss was unlike our first. It was aggressive, desperate. Something burst inside of me, and I fought for dominance against him, my hands grasping at his shirt and yanking him closer to me. I opened my mouth for him, letting him taste me intimately. His fingers roamed my arms, as if trying to physically memorize them. A backbone started to form out of nowhere, and I pushed myself onto Edward, almost slamming him against his headboard. I crawled into his lap, unable to get enough. I was on fire. Shuddering earthquakes surrounded my chest. His skin was so smooth, and felt amazing against mine as it burned in his ice-cold flames. My fingers assaulted his hair, and I moaned lightly into the kiss, reveling in its softness.

Then, Edward was gone. Along with the electrical, enflaming current. And the warmth of feeling wanted.

I felt my body get shoved backwards so hard, my eyes opened and I thought I was going to fall off the bed. Edward scrambled to his doorway, breathing as heavily as me. His eyes were obsidian, as if unnaturally dilated; his hands grasping at the woodwork so tightly, cracks were forming. The strong sense of fear crept back up my spine and engulfed me while I sat as still as a statue on his bed.

"Did…did I do something wrong?" I gasped. Edward's chiseled jaw clenched and unclenched slowly.

"I have better control than I thought," he whispered, more to himself than me. The darkness in his eyes melted away, revealing his brilliant gold irises again. That was the third statement he had said since we "met" that made no sense to me. Why was he speaking in riddles? Edward then looked at me with a wary grin. "You do not know how long I've wanted to do that with you, Bella," he hummed. My cheeks were burning up as he let go of the doorway. I placed a hand at my mouth when I saw the deep etchings in the shape of his hands in the wood. Regardless, I felt drawn to his form while he strode back to the bed. The fear was still there, bubbling under my skin and in my stomach. Excitement, lust, and an intense longing resided in my aching heart.

"I-I'm sorry?" I mouthed without awareness. Edward knelt at the side of the bed, placing his icey hands on both sides of my face and placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

Everything was happening so fast. I was starting to feel a bit dizzy. In the span of two weeks, I went from being a stranger to Edward Cullen, to some heavy petting in his bedroom. So many unanswered questions floated in my head like those winged keys in _Harry Potter_. I should be scared. I _was_ scared. However, as I stared into the endless pools of Edward's eyes, I saw something there that kept me attached to him. I saw love. Impossible, I know. But it was there, shimmering amongst the flecks of amber. Edward Cullen was telling me, in his own way, that he was in love with me.

Did I feel the same way about him?

_Are you freaking kidding me? What a dumbass question! You're head over hills for the guy! You dream about him every night! He makes your schooldays not hell. You want to shag him day and night. You'd rather listen to him play piano than hang with Jacob. You…_

"Bella?" Edward cooed, distancing me from my rampant thoughts.

"Mmm?"

"I hope you can forgive me one day. But I just cannot stay away from you anymore. It hurts too much."

"Then don't," I blurted. "I don't want you to."

"Bella, you do not understand how…dangerous…this is. How dangerous I am to your well-being." That captivating look on his face faded as he dropped his hands, shaking his head. My legs scrunched up to my chest and I wrapped my arms around them, locking my wrists together.

"You think you're dangerous? You're nothing. Mike Newton. Jessica Stanley. Lauren Mallory. _They_ are dangerous to my well-being. Mike was the one who bruised my forehead." Edward growled lowly, though he kept his gaze from me. "They have made my life a living hell for years. Until you came into it and shielded me. Without you and Alice, I would have lost it from what they did to me and my truck. That was the worst they've done, ever. I'm used to the names. The stares. The jokes. I'm used to looking over my shoulder at every turn. The sympathetic lectures from the teachers. The threats Charlie has for throwing them into jail, even though legally he can't. _You_ saved me from them. _You _somehow see nothing wrong with me, even though I think you're out of your mind about that. _You _talk to me. Want to be friends with me. Maybe even more than that…" Edward looked back at me then, a stern, but breakable expression on his glorious face.

"God, Bella, you don't deserve any of that. You deserve the world and more. I wish I could give that to you. You do not see yourself clearly. When I look at you, I see a brilliant, driven young woman who fights every single day, facing things no teenager should experience. You're not like any girl I've ever met."

"And you're not like any boy I've met. You see through me somehow, like you can see into my soul. You don't judge me because of my last name. It's been so nice to just be free around you and Alice these past couple of weeks," I admitted. Edward's crooked smile returned, and I felt myself swooning inside. _Cue music and dance number_. "Do…do you like me?" I bit my lip in anticipation. Edward laughed lightheartedly, leaning over and pressing his thumb on my bottom lip, plucking it from my teeth.

"Bella, I feel so much for you that it hurts. I have for a very long time."

"Then why, Edward? Why wait until now to approach me?" My voice grew urgent. He sighed, looking down at my hands, which were turning white from holding onto each other so tightly. He wrapped his own around them, separating them from my legs. I gawked at our hands in silence.

"Just because I feel for you as I do, does not mean it is a safe idea. I am breaking rules by being with you this way."

"What rules? I don't get what you're talking about. Are you not allowed to date or something?" Edward shrugged, shaking his head again.

"I wish I could better explain, but I cannot."

"Why not?"

"It is very complicated, Bella."

"I'm sure I can keep up."

"You should be afraid of me."

"What? Why on earth would I be afraid of you? Didn't I just go over this?" I was getting pissed now. Edward stood up, pacing back at forth and pulling at his hair. The way his nose flared and his mouth pursed made him so attractive I wanted to scream. He was hot when angry, too.

"I am not good for you, Bella. Can't you comprehend that?"

"Uh, no? Apparently not. What, are you a serial killer of teenage girls?"

"What? No!" he griped, stopping his pacing for a second. "That's ridiculous!"

"Do you perform mutilation rituals with dead animals?"

"Goodness, no!" Edward's face shriveled into that of horror.

"Are you on the run from the law, maybe an international assassin?"

"I think you watch too many movies," he groaned.

"Just proving a point. Since you're not psycho, you don't dismember or kill for money, then I'm not scared of you. I think you are a perfect gentleman, albeit a little emo. But still."

After yanking at another tuft of his hair, Edward looked at me with furrowed brows. "I don't understand how you can be so absurd."

"I don't understand how you can be so selfish." Well, that shut him up. "You are basically telling me you want to be with me but can't, yet you've strung me along for two weeks, kissed me twice, and I'll let you know that I've never been kissed before you, so _congrats_." My sarcasm wasn't lost on him. "Then you tell me that we can't be together because it's complicated. Are you _sure_ this isn't some sick game you're playing with me? Because if it is, I will walk right out of here right now and never speak to you again."

"No, Bella! Please!" Edward rushed to my side at the blink of an eye, or perhaps faster. "I desire nothing more than to be at your side..."

"Then why can't you, when it's pretty obvious that I am okay with it?" He was quiet for a while, looking as though he was internally struggling with something. I buried my head in my knees, wishing for everything to go away. Wishing that I never met the Cullens, that I was just a blip on the school radar, and that the last few weeks never happened.

The bed shifted, and Edward's cold arms snaked over mine, and then tugged me downwards. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying next to him; my face on his hard chest. My right arm was draped across his abdomen, with his fingers tracing circles on my skin. Processing what just happened became impossible as he touched me tenderly. His chin was buried in my messy hair, and he hummed with contentment.

"If I'm going to hell, I'd rather like to enjoy my time with you beforehand," he murmured into my hair. I still had no freaking clue what he meant, but in that moment, I didn't care. His hold on me gave me such a relieving sense of security. I wanted to bask in it for as long as I was allotted. "Was I really your first kiss?" he asked after some time passed. I nodded against his chest, feeling self-conscious. "Thank you for bestowing me with the honor of being your first, even though it was unplanned." Kissing me was an honor? Was this guy for real? Could I keep him? Please?

"It was still pretty awesome…" I said into his shirt, nuzzling into the soft cotton. "I still feel bad for leaving you like that. It freaked me out. I didn't expect it." His hand weaved through my hair at my back, playing with it.

"I admit that it shocked me watching you drive off without a word. Nevertheless, I fully understand. After seeing how Alice heightened your natural beauty, I was compelled to kiss you. To feel you in some way beyond our normalcy."

"Natural beauty? Where do you see that? I'm a hot mess. A plain Jane. Or in my case, plain Bella." Edward's chest rippled as he chuckled.

"Bella, I wish there was a way I could express to you just how beautiful you are in such that way that you would understand. When you walk into a room, you brighten it. If you knew what the other male students in class thought of you…"

I snorted. "I do, trust me. I'm Smelly Belly, the ugly whorebag of Forks."

"Don't _ever_ call yourself those filthy names. The students who feel that way are refutable nimrods who are too jealous or short-sighted to see what a wonderful person you are."

"You really think that?" Edward's head lowered at the same time as his hand latched to my chin and lifted it so I'd see him.

"Have you not listened to a word I've said this evening? You are the most amazing, beautiful creature to grace my world." I knew my face was flushed. He was a smooth talker. And _really_ good at it. This time, I felt in my bones that he was telling me the truth. I yawned deeply, whining at myself for being so tired. How long ago was it that I left Alice?

"I think it's time for you to get some sleep, Bella," Edward suggested, slowly nudging me to move off of him. I was reluctant at first. I felt like I finally found something good in my life. What happened if I woke up the next morning and Edward denied everything? Or worse: this was all a dream in the first place?

"Promise me that this is real. Whatever it is between us. Can you promise me that?" I pathetically squeaked as I pulled away from him with a frown.

"Oh, Bella, do you still doubt me?" Edward looked hurt as he cradled my face in the palm of his hand.

"I doubt everything. Can't help it," I replied flatly. It was true. Edward kissed me chastely, but it was enough for my heart to need a jumpstart when he broke away. He gently helped me off of his bed and walked me to his door.

"Do not doubt this," he whispered in my ear. I gasped as how soothing he sounded. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight…" I uttered, walking back to the guestroom, feeling more at ease, as well as confused, as I had before leaving it.


	5. A Whole Lotta What The Fuck?

**Author's Note: **Lookie! Another chapter. I know it's short. Sometimes I just roll that way. We are almost all caught up. There's one more chapter until you have to actually wait for my updates. I've been getting so many good reviews and emails about this story. It warms my heart knowing you all enjoy it so much. I was actually nervous about writing a highschool-esqe story cuz it's been a few years, and I'm not sure how kids in highschool act nowadays. I guess some things never change, eh? Keep the reviews coming. And don't hate me at the end of the chapter! xP

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><p><strong>Chapter V.<strong>

**A Whole Lotta What The Fuck?**

"Bella! Beeeeelllllaaaa!" Who the hell was shrieking my name so early in the morning?

And why was the bed bouncing all around me? When I forced my tired eyes open, I saw a perky Alice sitting at the end of the bed, bouncing up and down enough to wake me.

"Is this how you normally say good morning?" I growled, rubbing my eye and yawning. She laughed innocently.

"Course not. Just you!" Her mouth formed a pretty smile and she jumped off the bed.

"Please, don't waste any of that immense energy on my account. I don't need special treatment," I grumbled.

"Pshhh. You're going to be a best friend soon enough. That constitutes special treatment," she pointed out with a smirk. "Esme cooked up a big breakfast, so hurry downstairs." And like the fireball Alice was, she bolted out of the room.

What. Just. Happened?

I moaned in protest as I changed my clothes, not wanting to look like a slob. I decided to put on one of the new outfits Alice bought me: a knee-long, dark brown skirt with black leggings and a low-cut black tshirt that looked frayed along the sides. Since I didn't have the time to tackle my mane, I tied it in a low bun and walked downstairs, stifling the continuing onset of yawns that demanded to come out.

Alice was helping Esme set the table, while Carlisle read the newspaper. Jasper was lazily sprawled out on the couch, and Emmett was wrapped around Rosalie in one of the giant recliners in the living room.

"Good morning, Bella. Did you sleep well?" Carlisle asked, looking up from the paper long enough to acknowledge my presence with a smile.

"Ah, yes, Carlisle," I replied, still intimidated by Dr. Cullen.

"I made pancakes, bacon, and put together a little fruit cocktail. Is that alright?" Esme fluttered between the dining table and the kitchen.

"Sounds amazing. You know, cereal would've been okay…" I started feeling really bad, knowing Esme was spending what was probably valuable time cooking meals. Then I remembered how Alice said she was on a special diet, and that I didn't see the other Cullens eat too much. Where they all on a strange diet, too?

"It's not a problem, Dear. I love to cook," Esme reassured me while putting a pitcher of orange juice on the table. "Sit down and eat before the food gets cold!" Didn't need to tell me twice! The food looked fantastic, as Esme's cooking always did. She could've been a professional chef. Alice joined me as soon as I started munching on my first pancake. Mm. Raspberry. Delicious.

"When do you need to go home?" she asked. I thought a bit.

"Uh, not until the afternoon. I promised Charlie that I'd cook him dinner. Otherwise he will drive out to Paulies and will get a steak and egg platter. I tell him all that time that it'll kill him, but he never listens."

"Aw, poor Chief Swan," Alice chuckled.

"Yeah, he's stubborn." I saw Carlisle smile at my comments, and I felt more relaxed. He really wasn't a doctor when he was in the comfort of his own home.

"How is your forehead, Bella? Edward told me that you got hit by a volleyball a few days ago." Retract what I just said.

"Oh, it's fine. Hurt a lot the first day. It went away after that." Shit, now I'm embarrassed.

Carlisle lowered the paper and looked at me warmly. "I hear that you have become accident prone. Is that true?"

"I slip on air," I grumble, feeling the blood rush to my face. "Call it a quirk of mine?"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Esme added, joining us at the table. "You are such a sweet young lady." She shifted in her seat, tapping her fingers against the smooth surface of the table. "Where is Edward? I told him breakfast was ready." Esme was definitely a mother. It was endearing. I wished my own mother was like that.

"Sorry, Esme. I was lost in my book," the velvety voice from my dreams echoed as Edward walked in. He was still in his pajamas, reminding me in an instant what happened the night before. The talk. The admissions. The kiss. I heard Alice giggle slightly as I tried not to look foolish, focusing on the fruit in front of me. He seated himself across from me, starting up a conversation with Carlisle over volunteering at the hospital. It was endearing, listening to father and son talk so casually. Edward apparently liked to help others, especially children. I pictured him playing with a bunch of kids, or playing them their favorite songs on the piano. It brought a smile to my face.

Once I told Esme for the tenth time that I was stuffed, Emmett challenged me to a game of _Mario Kart_. I took him up on it, getting settled on the couch and laughing when he chose Bowser. To be funny, I played as Princess Peach, and I actually won on the first round. Edward laughed when Emmett screamed out, demanding a rematch. He beat me the second time. Alice called a third round to break the tie. Jasper called bets. Alice bet on me, as did Edward. Rosalie stuck by her man, and Jasper said he would support Emmett.

I won.

Emmett growled at me, saying he couldn't believe he was beat by a girl. That resulted in a smack on the back of the head from Rosalie. Edward and Alice shared glances, similar to how they would in school on occasion, and I felt like there was an inside joke I didn't know about. But I was happy, anyway. I felt like I belonged here. Even Rosalie seemed to accept me. For the first time since I was little, I felt free. The rest of the day was spent showing the family what Alice and I got while shopping (minus the costumes), Emmett, Jasper, and I playing some _Halo_, and helping Alice plan the party. Edward offered to play some music for us, which was awesome. I told him again that he needed to pursue music as career, to which he shrugged and laughed. The time came too soon for me to leave. Being at the Cullens' had been mind-blowing, and I was scared that it would disappear once I returned home. Alice hugged me goodbye after Esme did. Edward walked me out to my truck, helping me with my bags.

"Edward?" I asked, opening my door and sitting sideways in my seat.

"Yes, Bella?" He placed his hands on the outer rim of the door, watching me.

"What are you?" Edward didn't seem to like my question. I saw his fingers grip at the metal, and I thought he would crush it.

"What do you mean?" he almost hissed.

"Well," I fumbled. "Are you like, my boyfriend or something now?" I sucked my bottom lip under my teeth nervously.

"Oh." He sounded relieved. His hands moved from the door with the rest of his body, and he lowered his head into the truck. "I would be honored to be your boyfriend, if you will have me, Isabella Swan." His nose grazed mine, making me shiver.

"O…okay…" I replied breathlessly. He captured my lips with his, and we shared a delicate, yet needy kiss. His hand reached around the base of my neck and looped around the hair tie, removing it. I felt my hair fall down while he kneaded the back of my head. I could kiss him forever, it felt so good. The current claiming my body from his touch made me. Edward broke the kiss, as if he could tell how much my need for him skyrocked in that second.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered, kissing my forehead and closing my door for me. I had to will myself to calm my erratic breathing, grasping at my steering wheel for strength.

_Holy shit. I have a boyfriend. My first boyfriend. And it's Edward delicious-lips Cullen._

The drive home was kind of a blur as my mind took its sweet-ass time to return to normal. Charlie was glued to the tv when I got inside, complaining about some cheap shot being made on the screen. When he saw all the bags I had, he asked what us "crazy girls" were up to. I gave him an elaborate story about Alice kidnapping me, forcing me to play Barbie, and shoving new clothes down my throat. He seemed a little disappointed that I didn't bring home leftovers like last time. I huffed humorously, telling him I would make him a nice dinner, even if it wasn't as amazing as Esme's. I neglected to mention the whole Edward-is-my-boyfriend thing, not wanting to have "the talk" about boys quite yet. Discussions like that were uncomfortable for Charlie and me, for obvious reasons.

That night, I relaxed in my bed, checking my emails, when Edward messaged me.

_It's pretty late, you know. Did dinner go well?_ I shrugged. It was only 11:30.

_Charlie favors Esme over me now. I'm a little hurt._

_Aw, well perhaps she can show you some of her recipes? _I smiled at the thought of doing something so…relational like that. Renee couldn't cook to save her life. I had to teach myself.

_That would be fun. Renee can't even make toast. _A memory of the fire department being called when I was little and still living in Phoenix came to mind, all because Renee slammed toast in the oven and left it alone for too long. _How's your reading? _

_I finished Jane Eyre. Better than I expected._

_You should read Frankenstein, next. Fantastic book._

_Fantastic you say? It's a dreary tale, isn't it? About mad scientists and monsters._

_Those are the best! They are the most heart-wrenching. You feel for the "monster" for being created and treated like the devil, when all he wants is to learn and be accepted. _I related to that.

_That is true. But aren't monsters supposed to be scary?_

_Not always. Look at how vampires have been thrust into the limelight. Especially with Anne Rice's books and the Underworld movies. They're even considered great material for teen shows. _

There was a lull in the conversation for a few minutes.

_The media portrays them as romantic, seductive beings, correct? _

_Well, sure. That's what makes them attractive to people._

_What if they really weren't like that? What if they were closer to the original Dracula lore: sinister, selfish, and overly indulgent. Incapable of caring for others. _

I thought about that for a while.

_Considering they don't exist, I'll answer hypothetically. I'm sure that's possible. But not all of them could be that way. They were once human beings, like you and me. They once had beating hearts, families, loved ones. I'd like to think that it would be like Buffy. _

_Buffy?_

_Yeah, that old 90s tv show. I love it. Angel is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He was a really bad vampire when he was turned, but received his soul. It's a long story, but in a nutshell, he falls for the main character, gets all angsty, and does everything he can to protect her. There are other vampires, like Spike, who is a complete asshole most of the time, since he lacks a soul. Then there are others, who are like you said: ruthless, uncaring, and just plain evil. _

_You speak of souls. Hypothetically, do you believe vampires have them?_

This conversation was getting strange. What a weird topic to be discussing so in-depth.

_Hmm, well, yeah, I think so. In Buffy, vampires are damned and don't keep them when they are changed. But in Underworld, it's pretty obvious Selene keeps hers. I'd like to hope that vampires have souls. I'm a romantic like that, I guess. _

_You have interesting beliefs. _

_Do you disagree with me?_

There was another lull. I almost typed in something to change the subject, when he responded.

_I think vampires aren't innocent romantics like they are shown. I think that they are more the bad guys than the heroes. The seduction they provide is false, because they are made to draw in their prey, i.e. humans. Death is solidifying for them because they lose that essence of what it means to be alive: to love, to have family, to be truly happy. I think it would be a very lonely existence, to be a vampire. _

My eyes widened. Something wasn't right about what he was saying. It sounded like he _knew_ for a fact that was what it would be like. _Stupid Swan! Stop being crazy. That's impossible. Vampires aren't real._

There was another ding.

_This is all hypothetical, of course._ His added line made my throat become dry.

_You know, you're right. I think I need to get some shut eye. Your sister's bouncing and screaming left much to be desired,_ I typed. I didn't want to carry on that odd conversation anymore.

_Goodnight, Bella. Have sweet dreams, my beautiful girlfriend. _I blushed at his words. I could hear him saying them to me.

_Goodnight, boyfriend._

Nightmares plagued me again, but this time they were worse. I dreamed that Edward wanted to lure me away from school, to a secluded area by the football field, in the middle of the woods. He led me into a clearing, and started kissing me. At first, it was wonderful, being under the warm sun, in a meadow of beautiful flowers. Then, I saw red. The sky became red. The grass turned red. And Edward's eyes turned red as he grasped my neck, biting down as hard as he could. I screamed at the top of my lungs, waking up the next morning with a horrid taste in my mouth. I had bit my tongue in my sleep. My body rushed to the bathroom before I could vomit from the taste of blood. Where in the world did that dream come from? Stupid vampire conversations!

I still felt unnerved when I got to school. Mike and Jessica were necking while Lauren fixed her hair in her car mirror. My eyes darted across the parking lot, remembering how it looked in my nightmare. When the silver Volvo pulled into its usual spot alongside the Jeep, I gulped. My tongue still hurt, well, more like ached and throbbed. Edward looked like a god as he stepped out of his car in an argyle sweater that was navy blue and black. Black slacks were underneath, making me want to drool. But then I remembered my dream, and sobered up. Alice got out of the passenger side door, looked between the two of us, flashed me a grin, and walked off to class with the other Cullens. My heart started to race as Edward walked to me, taking me into his arms and planting a kiss right on my lips. Gasps flew around us when he let me go. What was my name, again?

"Bella?" Oh, right, That's it. "You seem shaken…" Edward narrowed his eyes and I saw his lips twitch.

"I just had weird dreams last night," I whispered. "Managed to bite my tongue in the process."

"DISGUSTING! Bella is such a whore! Look at them!" Lauren spewed. I heard some girls whining about why Edward would want me. A few guys repeated that I was a pity-fuck. I caught Jessica's death glare, biting my lip and feeling scrutinized.

"Don't worry, I'm here," Edward said in my ear as he laced my fingers with his. We walked across the lot, and I was able to ignore the hurtful words of my peers. He pecked me on the cheek at my classroom before leaving, and I floated to my desk. The rest of the morning was tolerable. A lot of people asked me if I was dating/fucking/propositioning Edward. It was rude and annoying. I ignored them, letting them think what they wanted.

At lunch, Edward came over to my table and introduced himself formally to Angela and Eric. To say they were shocked would be a gross understatement. They were happy for me, though. I promised to email Angela a detailed account of my weekend when I got home. Biology was different the most, by far. Edward and I would steal glances at each other, and when a kid behind us making sucking noises, Edward squeezed my knee to sooth me. It worked. The magical spell he had on me was strong, making me feel invincible against the mass of rumors being thrown at and around me by the blonde bitch brigade.

Hm. I like that new name. I think I'll keep it.

Edward and I held each other in the parking lot at the end of the school day. I was a little irritated with him because he kept insisting on giving me a ride home. He used the excuse of wanting to introduce himself to Charlie, but I shot down the idea. I wanted to tell Charlie about our relationship in my own way. Besides, we were only dating for a day! What's the rush? I yapped until I was blue in the face before Edward finally relented. He seemed a little on edge when I left the parking lot. I'd have to ask him about that later. _He's laying it on thick with the whole protective thing…_

I rolled my window down to feel the brisk air while I drove. Autumn was one of my favorite seasons because of the smell in the air. It smelled like change. Change mixed with cinnamon, pumpkin, and apples. Yankee Candle couldn't bottle this up if the company even tried. The radio was playing some old grunge tune, and I was bopping to it absent-mindlessly. I stopped at the main intersection near my house, thinking about cooking some pork chops for Charlie and me. Did we have Shake and Bake in the house?

There was a blaring screeching noise at my left, and I turned my head in time to see a bright blue object veer towards me like train. My mouth opened and there was a scream, though I'm not sure if it was my own. It was muffled, like I was underwater. I felt a great deal of pressure in my side. It suddenly became hot, and I heard what sounded like metal splitting open. Something punctured me, and I felt dizzy from smelling a strong stench of blood. It was invasive. As was the crippling pain that took over my senses. Before I closed my eyes, I thought I saw bronze hair and heard my name. Everything went black after that.


	6. To Trust or Not To Trust

**Author's Note:** AAAAAAAAAAnd here is chapter 6! Now we are all caught up. This is another short one, but no worries. A lot happens in it. Hope you enjoy! Lots of twists and turns are about to happen. Looking forward to hearing your reviews. You guys make it worth writing!

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><p><strong>Chapter VI.<strong>

**To Trust or Not To Trust. That is the Question.**

Beep. Beeeeep. Beep.

"Mmuuphhh…" Jesus Christ, my head hurt! It was so dark. Where was I?

"Bells? Wake up, please. God, don't take away my daughter…" Charlie? Where are you? What's going on?

"She's coming out of it," a familiar velvety voice said. Carlisle? "Can you open your eyes, Bella?"

There was a burst of white on me as my lids slowly opened up. I grimaced in response, wanting to shield my eyes, but my arms felt like jello. Or rock. Maybe a mix of both. Regardless, I couldn't move them very well.

"Where…where am I? What happened?" I said hoarsely. Charlie leaned over me, worry rolling off of him in waves. He looked as though he hadn't slept in days. White surrounded him. Carlisle was standing behind him, writing on a green clipboard.

"You were in a car accident, Bella," Carlisle answered stoically. "Do you remember anything?"

A car accident?

I furrowed my brow, trying to recollect anything. "N…not really." Blue. A blue train. Hot metal. Blood. Bronze hair. Oh my god, I _was_ in an accident! "Just bits and pieces…" I glanced downwards to see I was bandaged up from my chest down in various places. "Am I okay? How did it happen?" Charlie ran a hand over my forehead, taking a deep breath.

"It was Jessica Stanley." My eyes blew up as I listened on. "She was driving with Lauren Mallory in the front and Michael Newton and Tyler Crowley in the back. She was speeding. Seems she was unable to stop before the light changed and the car collided with your truck…" His voice was breaking, and I turned to Carlisle, urging him to continue.

"You suffered some bad cuts and bruises, but they will all heal fine. You were in a coma for the last 48 hours, due to hitting your head on impact. Do you feel any pain?"

"I…I was in a coma?" I whispered, letting the facts sink in. "No. I'm really sore everywhere, but there's no terrible pain or anything."

"That's good. Your vitals are stable. I think you should stay another night for observation, and then you can be released in the morning if all goes well." Carlisle gave me a reassuring smile.

"How did I get out? What about the others?"

"Jessica suffered near-fatal injuries. Michael had a fairly bad concussion and broke his leg. Tyler broke his shoulder and has some bruising. Lauren, however, didn't make it. She wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was flung from the car." I covered my mouth with my hand. Shock overwhelmed me.

"If it weren't for your son, Carlisle, I don't think Bells here would be in such great shape…" Charlie said. My jaw dropped. Edward was at the accident? That bronze hair that I saw…

"Edward was there?" I asked. Charlie nodded. Carlisle seemed a little disturbed.

"He pulled you out of the car before the impact could crush you, Bells. Didn't even get a scratch on him. The boy saved your life."

How. How was that possible? Edward was nowhere near me! I didn't remember seeing his Volvo in town at all. Did he follow me? How did he not get injured? He…he saved my life?

"Is he here? Can I see him?" I probably sounded more frantic than I should have, since Charlie had no clue about our relationship. Carlisle snapped his pen on the clipboard and nodded.

"He is in the waiting area. I'll let him know that you are awake and would like to speak with him. Excuse me," Carlisle glanced at Charlie before leaving the room.

"Bella, I was so worried about you. Are you sure you're not in pain?" Charlie looked so concerned, it made my heart ache. He was never the traditional father. I think it was awkward for him having a daughter, personally. As I watched him breathe slowly, scratching at his mustache and looking over me, it warmed my heart seeing how much he cared. I was all he had, outside of his job and Billy. What would have happened if I died?

"I'm really fine, Dad. Promise." Although my voice shook, mostly from the shock, I wanted to look strong for Charlie. "Did you…call Mom?" He shrugged and nodded.

"She would have flown here, but apparently she and that new husband of hers are overseas," he griped. Even though it hurt, I rolled my eyes. Renee couldn't stay in one place for long. It was why I moved in with Charlie when I was a kid. She got remarried a few years back to some guy named Phil, and they travelled all across the world due to his job. As much as I mentally thanked the stars for her not being here and freaking out, it hurt knowing she didn't at least try.

"When you're better, you can call her," Charlie said just as there was a knock on the door. When it opened, I saw the most gorgeous set of golden eyes looking at me, heavily with worry.

"Bella? Can I come in?" Edward asked politely, holding the door partially open. I nodded, smiling immediately. "Carlisle said you wanted to see me."

"I wanted to thank the boy wonder. Duh," I teased, trying to lighten the mood. Charlie looked between the two of us, coughed, and then walked to the door, patting Edward on the shoulder.

"I'll leave you two kids alone. I need some coffee," he said, closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, Edward appeared at my side, taking one of my hands. His eyes were swollen with worry, pain, and something else I couldn't name.

"How are you, really?" he asked, stroking my knuckles with his fingertips.

"Confused as hell. I don't think this was an accident at all. I think those assholes planned this. And Lauren died for their sick games," I spewed angrily. My free hand fisted the sheets. It was gut-wrenching to know that these people knew no boundaries in bullying. What did I do to deserve this? They put me in a hospital bed and killed a "friend" of theirs, just to make me suffer?

"I believe you," Edward said. "It is unimaginable, what they intended to do."

"How did you get to me so fast? You weren't anywhere near me at that intersection, Edward." I needed to know the truth. Too many things didn't add up. As I thought about it, they hadn't added up since the first day he spoke to me. No matter what he told me in his bedroom. None of this felt right, not in that regard. His hand tensed around mine as his eyes lowered. In that moment, I took note of how dark they were.

"I was two cars behind you, Bella," he replied in a flat tone. I shook my head, knowing for a fact that there were no other cars behind me at the time I was hit.

"That's a lie, and you and I both know it. No one was around. Including you. How did you know exactly where I was? How did you free me from the wreck, and not get a single cut on you?"

"You hit your head very hard. You are imagining things about the accident." I didn't like this tone in his voice. He was spitting words like they were facts he had memorized for a test.

"Bullshit. You're hiding something from me. Something big. I can feel it. And I'm going to find out what it is."

"Bella, please don't push this," he softly begged. His eyes met mine briefly, conveying a kind of fear that made me guilty. "For your own safety, just let it go."

"I don't like being played, Edward," I growled. "Do I mean anything to you?" He looked visibly shaken at my question. He pouted his lips, looking conflicted.

"You mean everything to me. You are my life." He squeezed my hand. As heavy and unexpected as his confession was, I couldn't back down.

"Then why are you lying to me, if I mean that much to you? We shouldn't be hiding things from each other. I have serious trust issues. That's well known at this point. You really think keeping something from me is going to win you any brownie points?"

"You don't understand. I wish you could feel the complexity; the confusion that I feel."

"Maybe I would if you explained it to me." Tears were beginning to form at the corners of my eyes. Edward lifted his hand, running his fingers along the bottom of my lids, catching the small droplets before they could slip downwards.

"I can't," he said sternly, removing his flesh from mine and standing up. I sniffled, feeling the snot threatening to droop out of my nostrils. There was a soft knock at the door, interrupting whatever this conversation was between us.

Alice's head popped in, smiling warily at the two of us. She held a small bouquet of tulips in her hands. "Can I come in?" she asked gently, as if she was afraid of one of us exploding at her.

"I was just leaving," Edward grumbled, flexing his hands roughly. "Feel better, Bella," he said, looking at me one last time. He stormed out of the room in a hurry, barely giving me enough time to catch my breath.

"O-kaaaayyy…" Alice rolled her eyes and scampered to my side, handing me the flowers. I winced as I reached for them. They smelled heavenly.

"Thanks, Alice," I said. She nodded, taking a seat in the small chair nearby.

"How are you feeling? We were all so worried about you."

"I've definitely been better. You know about the others?" I figured Alice would give me more info than Carlisle would.

"Pretty bad. There's talk that Jessica may not walk again. Something about her spinal cord being damaged in the crash. Mike and Tyler were released yesterday."

"This is all so surreal. It's so hard to believe…" I said, thinking about how in a second, so many lives were changed forever. "Is it terrible that I feel happy and sad about it?" I looked at Alice sadly. She pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I think it's normal. I mean, they did treat you really badly, so hearing that they got their comeuppance probably is relieving. I don't think they will be messing with you again anytime soon."

"But someone _died_, Alice. I mean, whether not this actually was an accident is irrelevant. I lived, when someone else died. As much as I hated Lauren, I'd never wish death on her. I am so confused about a lot of things, it makes my head hurt."

"I understand, Bella. I'm here for you if you need to talk."

"I don't think you can help me. Not with what I'm struggling with."

"You're worried about Edward, aren't you?" She hit the nail on the head. Dead in the center.

"He's so…so mind-boggling!" I cried out. "One minute he is telling me that 'I'm his life'," I emphasize with air-quotes. "And the next, he's telling me to stay away from him, that he isn't safe. Then, he tells me I shouldn't ask why he feels that way. I just don't get it."

"Edward has always been a complicated person," Alice sighed. "Just give him some time. I think seeing you in that accident scared him."

"I just feel like he's messing with me. That he's playing me like his piano. And I can't stand the thought of…" I bit my lip, feeling weird expressing my feelings for Edward to his sister. She grinned.

"You love him, don't you?" My eyes went huge and I stared at her.

"What? No! Of course not…I mean…that's not possible…we barely know each other!" What a crazy accusation! Alice looked smug as she crossed her arms at her chest.

"It's entirely possible. Don't think I haven't seen the way you look at him whenever he's around you. He's the same way with you. I know the signs. I'm like that with Jasper. Maybe you just aren't ready to admit it, yet." Alice seemed to be so intuitive, it was scary.

"Bella?" Carlisle's soothing voice said as he reentered the room. He glanced over at Alice, who shrugged and patted my arm.

"Time for me to go. I'll let Angela and Eric know how you're doing." Her spikes bounced as she walked out.

"You seem to be popular," Carlisle commented, looking over at the machinery I was hooked up to. I snorted.

"Me? Popular? What a laugh," I grumbled. Carlisle raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Everything's looking good. I think it's time for you to get some rest."

"You got it, Doc," I smirked, feeling pretty tired for someone who slept for two days. My eyelids got heavier by the minute, and I let sleep take me over.

When I woke up, Jacob was sitting in the small chair, picking at his braid, while Billy and Charlie played a game of cards across the small room. "Bells! Enjoy your nap?" Billy said with a wave. "I'm amazed you could sleep at all, with this old geezer cursing all sorts of mean things to his dear friend over here." Charlie looked sheepish. I laughed.

"You okay, Bella?" Jake asked in a soft voice. I looked at him, unsure of how to talk to him, since the last time we exchanged words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"What are you guys doing here?" I avoided his question altogether, looking back over at Charlie. "Isn't it late?"

"Carlisle said it would be alright. It's only eight. I didn't want to leave without making sure you were alright."

"I thought I'd drop by to keep your dad company, and Jake was itchin' to see you. You had all of us at the Rez worried sick," Billy frowned as he spoke.

"Sorry, Billy. You can tell everyone that I'm fine. It's my baby that I'm worried about."

"Baby?" Charlie raised an eyebrow, and I thought I saw his mouth contort into a that of agony and horror.

"Relax, Dad. I meant my truck," I sighed. Still a virgin, thanks. "I should hold a funeral service for it."

"Maybe not," Billy interjected. "We were able to salvage it. Jake thinks it just needs some new parts and paintjob."

"Really?" I gasped, looking at Jake, who was blushing furiously. "Can you bring it back to life?"

"Your side is busted up, and it'll need new windows and a mirror. For the most part, yeah. Me and the guys will work on it for you."

"Sweet! That's kickass. Thanks, Jake!" I moved over without thinking, wanting to give him a big hug. Sadly, it hurt like a bitch to move like that, and I whined in pain. All eyes were on me while Jake reached over and hugged me.

"Don't kill yourself, Swan. I'd feel bad, ya know," he said with a snicker. I forgot all about why I was mad at him.

"Are you hungry, Bells?" Charlie asked.

"Urm…yeah. You think you could sneak me some grub?"

"No problem. Come on, Billy, I'll show you where the cafeteria is."

"Oh, great. A tour. Let's get this over with," Billy frowned as Charlie wheeled him out of the room.

"Don't get me anything that jiggles, please!" I called out.

"I was really worried about you, Bells," Jake said. I turned to him, feeling bad about how we last left each other. "When I heard you were in the accident, I felt so scared because the last time we were together, we fought. I didn't want you to…" he gulped. "You know…thinking I hated you. I don't, for the record."

"Well that's good to know. I'll take that as an apology. And I accept. Pretty ironic, if you ask me."

"Huh?"

"Edward was the one who saved me. Didn't you hear?" Jake tensed in the chair, but remained calm, unlike last time. "Proves my point of the Cullens not being as bad as you think."

"I still don't like them, Bella. I know I can't make you do anything. That was made clear to me early last week."

"What do you mean by that?" I sneered when he looked away from me, ashamed. "Jake, what did you mean?"

"I…uh…was the one who told the kids at your school about you going to the Cullens. To see Edward. That he was planning a prank on you."

My eyes flared and I felt the urge to scream at the top of my lungs. My very best friend in the whole world spread that rumor? _He_ was the reason why I was being called a whore!

"How could you DO that to me?" I exclaimed. My heart started to race as adrenaline pumped through my veins like venom. "They made me sound like a slut, Jake! And I got so pissed at Edward for nothing! I can't believe you did that!"

"I didn't mean for it to be like that, Bella! I just wanted you to stay away from him so bad. This was the only logical way I could think of! I'm sorry!"

"You are a grade A prick, Jacob Black! Get out of my room. Right now. I don't even want to look at you!" _I don't want you to see me cry._

Jake gave me a solemn expression as he paced to the exit, leaving without another word. My head fell into my hands, and I sobbed into my bandages.

Time flies when you're injured. Well, that's a lie. Kinda. It does fly when you're passed out most of the time. Thank Carlisle for sleeping meds! The next morning I was released from the hospital, with strict recommendations from Carlisle that I don't overexert myself. My mind was still reeling from Jake's admission the night before when Charlie drove me home. I spent the rest of my Thursday in bed, messing around on my laptop. I shooed Charlie off back to work, saying I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. In a way, he was kinda cute, acting like an overbearing father. But his place was in the station. I had to keep bandaged for the next twenty four hours, which was a pain since they irritated my skin. Lying in bed gave me peace of mind. A chance to recover from what happened. Which was a LOT, by the way. Only two and a half weeks went by since my life flipped upside down. It took that long for me to become Forks High's headline every day. It took that long for me to become fast friends with Alice. It took that long for me to realize that maybe, just maybe, I _was_ in love with Edward.

Though his and my insecurities were fouling up our chances of having a real relationship. He was hiding secrets from me. Secrets I should know. My brain kept nagging me about it. What would it take for him to open up? Or would I have to guess? I held out my hand and counted the different ways Edward set off red flags in my brain of "what's normal in a guy":

First, he spoke like my grandfather.

Second, his skin was like ice. All the time.

Third, his eyes changed color, at random times. Especially when we kissed. He and his entire family have the same eyes, which is freaky since they're all unrelated.

Fourth, he seemed to need to protect me like I was some sort of doll. Granted, school wasn't too safe for me emotionally, and I am a walking disaster waiting to happen, but that doesn't count.

Fifth, he was extremely broody for a seventeen or eighteen year old boy. He sometimes looked as though he was holding in a lot of pain that he didn't know how to deal with.

Sixth, he kept telling me he was dangerous. That I shouldn't want to be around him. He mentioned control a couple times, too, like he could break me at any moment but had not yet.

And last, but not least, he was able to save me from getting, well, dead.

Nothing made sense. I grumbled at myself while I tried to come up with some sort of explanation. Turning up empty handed, I decided to just pop in a movie and watch it. The enigma that was Edward Cullen would have to wait.


	7. Nightmares are Real

**Author's Note:** Phew! I'm amazed at myself for writing so much in just a few days! But here is the next chapter. It will have to keep you company for the next few days. I'm moving into my campus apartment tomorrow, and will be busy. I promise to get to work on the next chapter as soon as possible! I hate leaving my readers hanging. Also, I've noticed in the reviews and in messages that people have been wondering about Jacob's involvement in the story. As for the triangle, it won't exist in this story. This is purely Edward and Bella. For a triangle, look at _Starlight Vows_. Anyway, things are starting to seriously heat up for our favorite love birds. Enjoy! And keep reviewing. I'm loving the feedback.

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><p><strong>Chapter VII.<strong>

**Nightmares are Real.**

I didn't speak to Edward that day, or the next. There was a memorial service at school that day for Lauren, but I had no interest in going. Carlisle wrote me an excuse for school, so I could just relax at home. Charlie surprised me with a big, greasy burger from Paulie's, with all the trimmings and a piece of apple cobbler for dinner Friday night. I soaked in the bathtub twice: once to wash up since I still felt gross from the accident and bandaging, and again to just enjoy it. Because I could. I knew Alice's Halloween party was the next day, and I was getting nervous. Edward left me feeling so empty when he left. His sister's suggestion that I was in love with him terrified me. And mystified me. Was it really possible to fall hard for someone in two weeks? Was life like a storybook?

"Blargh!" I splashed the vanilla-scented suds across the warm water in agitation. Alice told me to give her brother time. Would he ignore me at the party? A part of me didn't even want to bother showing up. But Alice paid for my costume, and I was as involved in the planning as she was. I couldn't let her down like that. Stupid Cullen! Stupid drama!

There was a text message waiting for me when I got back in bed. From Alice. She must've plugged in her number while I was in the hospital. I slid up the cover to read it. As well as the two others that continued the long message she sent.

_Hey, Bella! Just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the party, and I'll pick you up around four. No need to get dressed up beforehand, we'll have plenty of time for it after decorating. Hope you're feeling better. Edward's been moping around the house like someone killed his puppy. Please make up! Can't wait to get this started. See you tomorrow._

Hmph. He deserved to mope around. He was the one who was being a dick. I sent her back a text, simply saying okay.

Sleep came swiftly for me that night. I dreamed that I was being held by Edward, embraced with his strong, cold arms. It was so vivid; the strong smell of his musk, the contrast of his skin on mine, the whispered reassurances of his love for me. I woke up before dawn, thinking I would see him next to me in my bed. I didn't, of course. I was washed over with the feeling of being utterly alone. Not just in my bed, but in my life. And if I could honestly let Edward and Alice in. I desperately wanted to. Would they leave me? Edward was already teetering on doing so, I thought. Would I be able to handle that kind of rejection?

Tears wet my pillow when I tried to go back to sleep. It was hard. My mind was racing with negative thoughts and scenarios, like everything was on sensory overload. When sleep finally came, it was dreamless. My alarm buzzed at 10am, and I rolled out of bed with a groan. Charlie had gone fishing as usual, leaving me to do homework and kill time before going to Alice's. She had collected all my homework for the week (outside of bio, which Edward took care of), and it was sitting in a neat pile on the kitchen table. I had avoided it the last two days, but I knew that now was the time to tackle it head on. Like I planned to with Edward that night.

Around three, I hopped into the shower and tossed my costume in a bag. It was pretty damp out, but it didn't bother me much. I sat on the front porch, iPod in hand, and listened to some music while I waited for the shiny yellow Porsche to appear. The drizzling rain dotted the bee of a car as it pulled up in front of my house; Alice's beaming face welcoming me under a mauve shawl that wrapped around her hair. "What's with the mummy look?" I teased, getting into the car. Alice stuck out her tongue.

"I have curlers in my hair. The shawl is keeping them in place, for your information," she said. "How are you feeling? Excited for tonight?"

"I'm feeling better. And no. Not really. Not a partier," I groaned, staring out the window.

"Awwww, come on. It'll be great! A lot of kids from school will be there."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I sighed. "Mike and Tyler have had two days to make everyone think _I_ caused the accident. Everyone's going to hate me even more."

"That's silly. I admit, there have been rumors, but I've refuted them every time I hear one come out of someone's mouth. We all are backing you up on this. No one will say a word to you tonight, promise."

"Hmm. If you say so," I shrugged.

"Are you betting against me, Bella?" Her voice edged higher at my name, making me laugh.

"Of course not. I know better than that." I glanced over at her and she smiled at me with a shake of her head.

"Good. Now, onto party planning!"

Esme was cooking up a storm when we went inside the house. There were trays of brownies, cookies, salads, bowls of candy, and unopened bags of chips along the dining table. Various bottles of soda were there, too. Rosalie and Emmett were hanging fake spider webbing while Jasper stuck googly eyes and bats on the windows. Orange, purple, and black streamers dangled from the ceiling and arches. I saw a huge fog machine in the back of the living room, and black lights were set up. It looked like a haunted house/nightclub. Awesome!

I took to helping Jasper with window decorating, and Alice opened up bags and bags of party favors, making little baggies of candy, stickers, and glowsticks. As the house became gloomier and doomier, I started to get excited. The house was really going to look amazing when the sun went down. Edward was nowhere in sight, which relieved me as much as worried me. I didn't want to distract myself from helping out Alice by dealing with him. Not quite yet. I'd wait until people were around. Once every decoration was taped to almost all the surfaces of the downstairs, it was time for me to get dressed.

Alice straightened my hair for my outfit, and put on some wicked green and purple eyeshadow around my eyes. She used some weird, strawberry-tasting lipstain to outline my lips, then filled in with an orange lipstick. The outfit fit like a glove, and when I saw myself in the mirror, I grinned broadly. I looked fucking badass. Alice looked, well, perfect, in her gypsy costume. She told me Jasper was dressing as a confederate soldier, which saddened her because she wanted them to match like Emmett and Rosalie planned to. The curls in her hair really added to the costume. When I went downstairs to steal a teacup from the kitchen, I saw Rosalie and Emmett. She was dressed as Sexy Sandy from _Grease_. I was amazed at how pretty she looked with curled hair. Hers was longer than Alice's, and the locks framed her face beautifully. Emmett was a greaser, complete with the slick hair and black motorcycle jacket.

"You guys look great!" I complimented. Emmett smirked.

"Pfft. Understatement of the year. We're freaking hot. Right, Babe?" he nudged his girlfriend. Rosalie shook her head, but laughed. "You look…well…freaky…"

"Good. That's the point."

"What are you, anyway?" Emmett wondered, looking as though he was trying to figure it out for himself and was failing miserably.

"She's a mad hatter, isn't that right, Bella?" Esme asked, handing me a small teacup that went perfect with my outfit. I nodded.

"A very merry unbirthday to you," I said in my best hatter-imitation, taking off my hat and bowing. Then I pretended to take a sip of tea and grinned crookedly.

"Okay, that's cool. Still creepy," Emmett shrugged.

"It's almost time! Is everything all ready?" Alice pranced downstairs in a rush, running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Or a gypsy with no understanding of "calm down".

"Everything looks wonderful, Honey. Don't panic so much," Esme said with a small smile.

"Anyone see Edward? He's been MIA all day," I wondered, grabbing a cup of punch and drinking some.

"He had no desire to help with decorations. Parties aren't his thing," Alice huffed. "But he's showing up. I got him a costume and he will wear it, even if I have to perform some voodoo or something on him!" She waved her hands around frantically, to prove her point. I laughed at Alice's vigor. She really loved to host parties. It was adorable to watch.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell began to ring. Teens arrived in droves, filling the open house with laughter, conversation, and dancing. Loud music started to play from the massive sound system in the living room. Alice was a social butterfly, speaking with all the guests. I, on the other hand, found myself hiding in the background, not really wanting to deal with my peers. Some time passed, and I saw Jasper walk downstairs in his confederate uniform. It looked authentic, and he was smiling underneath his hat. Behind him, all I could see were dark and light purple stripes. My jaw dropped when I laid eyes on Edward, clad in a striped muscle shirt and matching pants. Black eyeliner was around his golden eyes, making them pop under the luminescence of the black lights. He had on detachable sleeves that were also striped, leading to fingerless gloves on his hands. His hair was everywhere, making him look positively delicious.

My hands clammed up as I clung to the back wall behind the couch, watching Edward as he spoke to Jasper. They were chuckling together, looking like brothers having a good time at a party. You know that plan I had about confronting Edward? It melted away the instant I heard his musical laugh. The sense of loneliness from the previous night returned, and I considered if I should just save myself the embarrassment and leave.

Fate hates me, though. It brought me Alice Cullen.

"Bella! Why are you hiding back here?" Alice cried out, running to my side and grabbing my wrist. "Have you seen Edward, yet? His costume is supposed to go with yours. Come on, he'll love your outfit!" She pulled me, but my feet were glued to the wood. My chest was going to explode. "What's the matter?" Her eyes narrowed and she frowned.

"What if he doesn't want to see me, Alice? He looks so happy over there with Jasper. I don't want to start a fight."

"You are outrageous. Everything will be fine! Trust me?" She squeezed my wrist gently. Taking a deep breath, I nodded, and the two of us weaved through the crowds of people, to the base of the stairs. "Hey, Jazz, Edward. Nice to see you finally decided to grace us with your presence, brother," Alice sneered, glaring at Edward as he groaned. Jasper smirked, wrapping an arm around Alice lovingly.

"It was a hard mission, Ma'am, if I do say so myself," Jasper commented in his thick southern accent. I grinned when I saw Alice blink and nuzzle into his side. "Looking good, Bella," he nodded to me.

"Alice did most of it," I spat nervously. Edward looked at me, making me sweat as our eyes met. Even as a punky Cheshire cat, he was breathtaking. It just wasn't fair!

"Is that Charlotte trying to spike the punchbowl? I'll kill her!" Alice suddenly squealed, running with Jasper to the dining room. Even though we were in a sea of people, I felt like it was only Edward and me in that room.

"You look really good," Edward said softly, sounding as nervous as I felt.

"You too. Can't believe Alice made you dress as a cat," I snorted. "No ears or tail?"

"I look ridiculous as it is. I'd be lying if I said she didn't try, though."

We both smiled slightly.

"Edward, can we-"

"Would you like to dance with me, Bella?" Edward cut me off, reaching out for my hand. I bit my lip and nodded. Talking could wait a little longer. We made our way onto the little makeshift dance floor Emmett constructed, his arms wrapping around my waist from behind and swaying with me to the music. I heard a lot of gasps and felt some stares from those around us. It didn't matter. Edward made them go away with his touch. His cool breath tickled my neck as his chin rested on my shoulder. After a few minutes, I turned around and buried my head in his chest. His shirt was extra soft and felt good on my face. We stayed like that for a few songs, just holding each other, moving our hips from side to side.

I felt Edward's arm tighten at my back and something like a hiss from above me. When I looked up to see what was wrong, I saw his jaw stiffen and his teeth shine between his lips.

"You killed my girlfriend, you BITCH!" The deep voice screamed over the music. Everyone froze and turned to the entrance of the house, and I whimpered. It was Tyler, with Mike at his side. There was something shining in his left hand at his side, and I felt all blood drain from the top half of my body. It was a gun. Mike looked as crazed as Tyler, his eyes large and blood-shot. He had been crying.

"What are you doing here! Leave at once!" Alice cried from the dining room. Tyler lifted the weapon, pointing it right at me. I stared at the black hole inside the barrel. Was this really happening?

"Holy shit! He's got a gun!" Screams exploded while people started running for their lives. Everything slowed, like someone pressed the pause-play button on a tv remote. I watched in horror as Tyler yelled something at me, his finger squeezing the trigger. The crowd dissipated rather quickly, leaving through the back doors by the kitchen that led out back. I heard Alice cry out for Emmett or Jasper to do something, when…

BANG!

I closed my eyes, hoping death wouldn't be too painful.

Nothing hit me. I expected a wrenching split in my top as the bullet penetrated my body and caused me to bleed. But it didn't come. I felt freezing cold, instead. I reopened my eyes, looking out into the night as Edward clutched my body with so much strength, it started to hurt. How did I end up outside? He was breathing heavily, and growls were bubbling through his twitching mouth. I thought I could see red in his eyes as he lowered them to mine. I started shaking.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I…I think so…your grip…" I wriggled underneath him and he loosened his hold. "How did we get out here?" I realized we were standing a few feet away from his house. It was dark out, and the trees rustled with the cold wind. Edward was heaving, scaring me. "Edward?" I hesitantly pulled away from him. "Are you okay?" He growled again, fisting his hands at his sides. For a moment, he looked like a frenzied animal about to pounce.

"I should rip him apart from trying to hurt you. I should shred his skin and watch him bleed…" he was muttering things under his breath. He was _so_ furious.

"Edward, calm down," I said, as I heard sirens in the distance. _Oh thank God, someone called the cops. That must mean Emmett got to Tyler._

"Bella, I thought I was going to lose you. They need to pay for that. They need to…"

"Shhh," I whispered, placing my hand over his quivering mouth. "Please, stop. Your death threats aren't helping me, here. I should be the one wigging out, not you." Twice in the span of a week I had stared death in the face. Twice I survived because of Edward. Was he an angel sent down to save me? "Were you hurt? I heard the gun go off…" I muttered, scanning his body for any injuries. There was a small hole through a stripe of his shoulder, and I gasped. "You were hit! Oh my god! We have to get you to the hospital!" I exclaimed in a panic, trying to see how much blood he was losing. No wonder he was upset!

He grabbed my hand just as I touched the area. There was no blood. In the instant I had moved the material, I saw that there wasn't even a wound.

"Bella…"

"What the fuck?" My filter went out the window as confusion, shock, and anger all churned into one encompassing emotion. The sirens were growing louder. No doubt Charlie would be coming to the house. I stared into Edward's darkened eyes, waiting for him to fucking explain himself. "Tell me what the hell is going on here!" I was unrecognizable to myself as I yelled; my voice was cracking and high pitched. Edward sighed, saying something under his breath that I didn't catch.

"You are in shock, Bella. You need to see Carlisle. Let me get you back to the house. Tyler and Mike are taken care of," he remained calm, holding onto my hand.

"No! I'm not leaving until you explain yourself. Explain to me how there's a fucking bullet hole in your clothes, but no wound! How the fuck do you know they're incapacitated, anyway? And how did we get outside in the span of all like five seconds? I'm not accepting your lies anymore. Tell me, god damnit!" I looked at him, exasperated as all my anger flew from my mouth. His lips parted and he gawked at me, like I grew three heads or something.

"As much as you'd like to believe, Bella, I am not the hero," he stated. My shoulders hunched upwards as the words resonated in me. He let go of me as I heard Charlie calling out my name while flashlights flickered from the house.

"Bella! Bells? Where are you?" Charlie cried out. I saw him approach us and felt the yellow light coat me.

"I'm right here, Dad," I said in a shaken voice. I didn't realize tears were falling until I tasted them on my lips. Charlie encased me in a strong embrace.

"Thank God you weren't hurt. How did you get out here?"

"Um, Edward dragged me…" I started as we broke the hug. When I turned, Edward was nowhere to be found.

"Edward?" Charlie furrowed a brow and looked around us.

"Dad…what happened to Mike and Tyler?" I asked, changing the subject.

"That large lad, Emmett, tackled Tyler down. The other son, Jasper? He grabbed Mike and kept him against a wall until we got here."

"I think I'd like to go home, Dad…"

"Are you sure? Maybe Carlisle should take a look at you…"

"No," I shook my head. "I want to leave. Please." He looked at me for a moment, and then nodded in understanding. He turned to one of his men, telling him I could make a statement in the morning. We walked around the house, and I could see Alice explaining everything to the police inside. Emmett was snarling at Tyler, who was sobbing uncontrollably in handcuffs, held by an officer. I only saw part of Mike, and that part was not pleasant. He had been bruised by Jasper, I assumed, and was being looked at by Carlisle, who must've just returned home. I took a deep breath and turned away.

Charlie asked me to tell him what happened on the ride home. I gave him my side of the story, wavering as I told Edward's involvement. I left out the fact that he was hit, but wasn't harmed. I cried when I showered, falling to my knees and cradling myself. How did my life get so fucked so fast? Edward's last words to me before he disappeared shook me to the bone.

_"I am not the hero."_ What did he mean by that?

That night, I screamed. A lot. I dreamed that Tyler didn't miss. I dreamed that Edward _was_ hurt. I dreamed that I died a horrible, painful death. But worse of all, I dreamed that I was absolutely alone. My funeral had very few visitors, Alice looked uninterested, talking about her next shopping trip as she passed my coffin. Charlie was the only one who seemed upset, mostly due to not having home cooked meals anymore. Jake was there, saying that he never intended to fix my truck, anyway. Tyler, Mike, Jessica, and Lauren all stood together, laughing about how it finally happened. Edward looked over my dead body, his face wrinkled in disgust. Then, a close up of Lauren's face appeared, mouthing "It should have been you!" I woke up screaming in Charlie's shaking arms.

I went to the station that morning with Charlie to report the incident. Charlie assured me that Tyler would not be seeing Forks freely for a long time. As an accomplice, Mike would have some jail time, too. I told him that he could handle everything. I didn't want to face it. Choke it up to being in shock. That's what I stuck to. In public, anyway. Charlie had me call Renee and let her know what happened, since the story would be big news in the small town. She sounded worried at first, but her flighty mind went right to her next flight off to Paris or something. After that mess, Charlie treated me to my favorite fast food and took me home. How was I going to face everyone at school the next day, after all this?

Jake had emailed me a few times over facebook, but I neglected them. I didn't want to fight him. Alice texted me, asking if I was alright. I neglected her, too. I just couldn't deal with everything. It was too much. Angela came by the house. I had Charlie shoo her away.

My eyes were sore from crying. How pathetic is that? Maybe I really was messed up, like everyone at school believed. Maybe I should have died in that accident. Maybe…I was unlovable, after all.

I was curled in a ball on my bed, listening to A.F.I. and hiding under the covers, when there was a thump from where my window was. I jolted upright, gasping as Edward stood in the corner of my room. His eyes were bright gold and sparkling. I wanted to scream, but it wasn't in me. Energy was non-existent. "How? Why? What?" I babbled like an idiot, slipping off my headphones and bracing myself.

"You deserve to know the truth about me, Bella. I understand that now, seeing the pain that I have caused you," his velvety voice sang, instantly easing me.

"But Charlie-"

"Is asleep downstairs," he finished. My eyes widened. He took a single step towards me. I shuddered, holding my knees against my chest and leaned into the wall behind me. "Are you afraid?"

"A bit, yeah," I gulped. "You vanished without even a goodbye last night. I sounded crazy to Charlie. I don't appreciate that."

"I apologize. I was very…confused." I sucked on my bottom lip, feeling the thick tension between us. I hated it. His eyes were filled with want, fear, and remorse. I watched him silently for a while, waiting for him to get the courage to discuss what he wanted with me. "This is difficult to express," he murmured.

"Start with the basics, then. How did you get up here?"

"The tree." Oh. Well, for some reason I expected something better than that. He saw the disappointment in my eyes and a hint of a smile flashed across his lips. The amusement faded away, replaced with seriousness. "Do you remember that conversation that we had online a week ago?" I thought hard, sifting through all the emails I had gone through and instant messaging before the accident.

It hit me in the face. How oblivious was I?

"The one about vampires?" He nodded. "What about it?"

"I was not speaking hypothetically."

My bottom lip started to throb as I bit down on it.

"What?"

"Bella, contrary to popular belief, vampires exist."

"You're bullshitting me right now," I growled, feeling my nails dig into fabric of my pajama pants. "What is it with you and lies?"

"Bella, please, listen to me…" He took another cautious step towards the bed. It was then that I noticed. He wasn't breathing. Edward wasn't _breathing_.

"Oh…oh God no…" I whispered.

Like a flood, all the strange experiences I had with Edward flickered over my eyes in the dim light of my bedroom. His skin, his eyes, his speed and strength, it was all _not_ human. The stories Billy told the night of the bonfire echoed. Cold ones. Cold…

This had to be another nightmare. No way was my boyfriend admitting to me that he was an undead mythical phenomenon right now. Did Charlie drug my food?

"You're afraid," he said, sounding mortified. "Your heart rate is accelerating, and you are perspiring from adrenaline."

Was it possible for my eyes to get any bigger? Apparently so.

"How…how do you know that?"

"I can hear and smell it, Bella. Heightened senses," he replied simply. Carefully. "It's one of my qualities."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Why would I lie about this? Now do you understand the danger you are in? Why I had to hide this from you?" I shut my eyes tightly, praying to wake up from this. "Bella, you're going to hurt yourself if you don't stop."

I pouted, wincing when I realized my lip was turning white from biting down on it so forcefully.

"So, wait a minute. You are telling me that the reason you'd been acting all weird around me and randomly appearing and disappearing, and saving me like you have, is because you are a _vampire_?" My mind was spinning with the possibility. Was Bloody Mary gonna pop out of my mirror next?

"In essence, yes." Edward looked ashamed. It started getting harder for me to breathe. "I've wanted to tell you since the very beginning, Bella. But I could not being myself to expose my existence to you. I am a demonic creature, Bella. I am not human. I should not even be around you."

"Vampires suck blood, right? Do you…do you do that?" I asked. He took a deep breath, making me wince since it was fake.

"I do, but not in the sense you are thinking. I feed off of animals."

"You've killed humans, though, right?" He was silent then. My feet started going numb.

He sighed. "Yes." The hair on my body stood on end. I had to look away from his beautiful, haunting face.

"You wanted to kill Tyler last night, didn't you…"

"Yes, Bella. I feel very protective of you. You know that."

"Why? Why are you so protective?" Another sigh.

"Humans are our natural prey. Even though I ignore the instinct and feed on animals, the thirst never completely dissipates. Some humans have blood that cries out to us. Yours happens to do that to me. I've had to stay away for a long time in fear that I would harm you. I am protective because I do not want you harmed, ever."

"Us?" I gasped. Alice. The other Cullens. They all had the same eyes and skin color. "Your entire family…you're all vampires?"

"Yes."

"So all of you have lied to me."

"What? No, that's not-"

"You all lied to me," I said, my hands falling from my legs and gripping my comforter. "Everything was a lie. Even Alice lied. I'm not special to you. You just want to eat me!" Sobbing had become second nature to me the past few days, and that moment was no different. My entire body was shaking as fear and doubt overcame me. All those nightmares were true. A dam burst inside of me, and I lost the ability to talk.

"Bella, no…" I felt the edge of my bed fluctuate as he leaned on it. "You have no idea how special you are."

"Shut up!" I gurgled through hiccups. "I can't take any more. I almost died. Two fucking times in a week! And you drop this…this bombshell…" I punched the bed. "I should've died! I should've been crushed in that crash!" I felt his fingers graze along my jaw, before wrapping underneath my chin and turning my face to see him. His thumb touched my swollen lip and I froze as I stared at myself in his golden eyes.

"I am so sorry for hurting you. Please don't berate yourself for my mistakes. I just couldn't bear the thought of losing my control with you. I watched in sufferable silence as those ruffians tormented you every single day, and I did not have the strength or courage to protect you. Believe me when I say that I care about you deeply, more than should be allotted to my kind. I desire nothing more than to see your smile. To listen to the fluttering of your exquisite heartbeat. To hear my name on your lips while you sleep."

I flinched. "What?" The question was just above a whisper. Regret instantly pooled in his eyes. A memory of one of my happier dreams flashed before me, and I felt sick. I snapped out of his touch, feeling violated. No one other than Charlie and Jake knew I talked in my sleep. The only way Edward would've known was if he had been in my room. While I slept. Watching me.

"Get out." I softly demanded. Averting his gaze once again, I swallowed hard. "Get out of my room."

"Bella…"

"Get. Out. Before. I. Scream. I mean it." The words spewed out of me like venom. If I heard or discovered anything else, I would have an aneurism. For the first time since we met, I needed to be far away from Edward Cullen. Edward removed himself from the bed, and I could hear the empty sob from his chest as he walked to the window.

"I love you, Isabella," he whispered. And he was gone.


	8. Brain Overload Commencing in 3, 2, 1

**Author's Note:** Here it is, folks! Told you I didn't want to leave you hanging! I unpacked faster than I thought, so I was able to squeeze in more time for writing. Thank you all for the feedback and reviews. I love reading each and every one! I have to say, this story is already coming to an end soon. I'm thinking only one or two chapters left. I have a question, though! I am not sure if I'd like to write an epilogue or not. So keep an eye out and review your opinion by the time the story is done! Since I'm sure you're dying from suspense, here is the next chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter VIII.<strong>

**Brain Overload Commencing in 3...2...1**

So.

Vampires are real. They walk amongst us during the day, pretending to be us while they mercilessly prey on us. We are food to them.

The Cullens don't hunt humans, though. Or so _he_ says. Yet he admitted to killing before. Oh god, the image of him ripping apart some poor girl's throat made my flesh crawl. I let him _kiss_ me with the mouth that kills. _Stop it, Bella. You're making it worse!_

I decided, once my breathing finally calmed, to stay away from the Cullens. I'd experienced enough fatal situations. There was a dull ache in my chest, however, due to the fact that I was really beginning to like Edward as a boyfriend. Eh…it was more than like. _It was nice while it lasted._ Yeah, until he decides it's time for a little snack.

He snuck into my room and watched me sleep. Who _does_ that? I had no idea how long he had been doing it, but if his admission was any indication, I feared it had been for a while. I had so many dreams with him as the star; I wasn't totally surprised that I said his name. But what _else_ did he hear? My face burned at the possibilities.

That night, I barely slept. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw Edward and his family. With long fangs. And capes. And coffins. Luring me into their clutches. Wanting me only for nutritional value. _No, wouldn't you want someone meatier than me? More cushion means more blood, right?_ I meant what I said to Edward: that I should have died. Maybe I was in some warped twilight zone or maybe things like in that _Final Destination_ movie do happen. Saving me messed with fate, and so it decided to seriously bite me (no pun intended).

As if it hasn't my entire life.

Going back to school was difficult. Moreso than I expected. Instead of getting stares and hearing insults, I got nothing. No one even dared to glance my way when I walked the halls. It was unnerving. People kept a distance, like I was a bomb about to go off. Even the faculty acted strange. I wasn't sure if this was worse than being the center of negative attention. Being thoroughly ignored in such a way felt awkward. Even Angela and Eric were off. They spoke to me using safe words and phrasing. Did they think I was a lose canon, too?

Seeing Edward and Alice hurt. I didn't have to look at them to feel their presence. They were beacons, giving of waves of energy that I soaked like a sponge. I hated it. When I grabbed a second peach from the fruit line, I caught Alice look at me with a forlorn expression. It didn't look good on her. The way her lips thinned as she pressed them together as her eyes became filled with sadness…I _almost_ felt like forgiving them. I just…

Couldn't.

Then, as I made my way to class after lunch, a thought came. A scary one at that. I knew the Cullens' secret. Would that put me in even greater danger? In all the movies I had seen, anyone who found out the truth about the vampire would have to be killed. Mysteriously. I imagined Charlie getting a fake suicide note, saying that I stole back my truck and went off a cliff at La Push because everything that happened became too much.

The idea made my blood run cold.

Biology was awful. Edward didn't say a word to me the entire time, to my relief. But just sitting there next to him made me want to hurl. Or kiss him. Or scream bloody murder and run. I think he sensed my anxiety because by the end of the period, I noticed him leaning over a bit, making me move away. His eyes, growing dark again, looked so pitiful. Broken. I snorted at the thought. How could a vampire be broken? Ugh. I ran out of there like a bat outta hell, finding one of Charlie's coworkers waiting for me in the parking lot. Oh, right. Failed to mention that since my truck was wounded in action, the cops would have to drive me to and from school. Again, not even having someone spare a glance following my reluctant stroll to the police cruiser made me nervous.

"How was school, Bella?" Joe asked, trying to make small talk when I got inside.

"Uneventful," I sighed, looking at the bumper of a silver Volvo as he pulled out to take me home.

The week went by like that. I heard from Charlie that we were pressing charges, and that both Tyler and Mike buckled under the pressure. They were going to be treated as adults, and were facing some jail time. Tyler was also going to seek psychological help, since his only defense for the murder attempt was the trauma of the car accident. I didn't even care. Jessica was going to be hospitalized for a few months while trying physical therapy to restore the use of her legs. I'm no medical expert, but it sounded to me like she severed some nerves in her lower back and spine, but it could be reversible. Which was good. I hoped a full recovery for her. Even if she was a bitch, maybe the accident and death of her plastic friend would wake her up to the blackness that was her soul. One could hope, anyway.

Every night, I locked my window and blocked it with one of my bookshelves. It took longer for me to fall asleep, since I was anticipating some form of backlash. Charlie took my nervous demeanor as a side effect from what happened, even suggesting me seek out a therapist. I scoffed at him multiple times. I wasn't crazy. I was living in fear of my vampire boyfri-_ex_ boyfriend coming to my bed and sucking me dry. By the weekend, I was a total mess. Bags were forming under my eyes and I was barely eating. Angela invited me over for a movie night, to which I refused. What if Edward decided to come after me? I would never want Angela in danger.

I received a slew of emails from Alice over the next couple weeks. I didn't read them. Jake called me on my cell once, but I had absolutely no desire to deal with him while being so paranoid. What if the Quileute legends were true. What if they could all change into wolves? If vampires existed, werewolves could exist too. Or aliens! Or the boogyman! I caught myself looking under my bed a couple times, not gonna lie. My mind really played tricks on me at one point when I looked out my window before blocking it. Did I just see Bigfoot hiding behind a tree with a Dr. Pepper?

Man, I was losing it.

It got so bad; Charlie wanted to cancel his last fishing trip. Since it was well into November, it was getting too cold for the old (he hated when I teased him about his age) man to be sitting in a boat for hours with a six pack and a can of worms. I didn't want him to, saying I would just read and do homework. At least I hadn't slipped in my grades. Schoolwork was the only thing I could somewhat focus on.

I went online to check my emails. Three more from Alice. I rolled my eyes. Was she not getting the damn message after three weeks? She couldn't be that dense. Weren't vampires supposed to be really smart since they were so old?

My lips went dry as I saw that there was one single email, sent to me earlier that morning, from Edward. He had not spoken, or even looked at me since his truth was exposed. I stared at his name for at least ten minutes, feeling my knees shake underneath my blanket in my bed. What would he want to tell me? Would he threaten me? It was easy to ignore Alice's emails, because I pictured her begging me to talk to her again, saying we could still be friends. I felt guilty, knowing that I missed her friendship. Her smile, her laugh, the way she seemed so confident that I was better than how I was treated at school. Regardless, it was all a lie.

Curiosity is a bitch.

_I can just see what he says, then say goodbye to him forever,_ I thought as I hastily clicked on the message before I lost my nerve. I held in a deep breath as I read his email slowly, letting every word on the screen sink in.

_Bella,_

_I hope that you will find it in your heart to read this. But, even if you do not, I can at least get what I have to say out in the open._

_With every depth of my being, I wish that this would have happened differently. I wish that I was alive again, so that I can be the boyfriend that you deserve. Seeing the fear in your eyes every day as you sit next to me further proves to me my original point: that I am not a hero. I am a monster. In every definition. I do not know what I was thinking, approaching you that day at your locker, cleaning up the spilled papers at your feet. For the first time in my existence, I acted with my heart instead of my head. I should have continued keeping away from you. It was the safest option._

I snorted at that.

_Though, that is not entirely the truth. You see, there are additional qualities to vampires that I should explain. First of all, certain vampires acquire talents. For instance, Alice can see parts of the future._

A gasp passed my lips as I read on.

_Her visions are subjective, and do change based on peoples' decisions. She saw you dying, Isabella. She didn't see how or why, but she saw you lying in a street, battered and bleeding. It was not until last week that I realized that she had seen your car accident. When she informed me of her vision weeks ago, I was desperate to keep you alive. _

I gulped hard.

_Unfortunately, as you well know, the accident still occurred. I was unable to prevent it, but I was at least able to keep your heart beating._

_I thoroughly understand your anger and fear of me, Bella. I have not been truthful to you since the day we met, and I regret that every moment of my existence, and will continue to. So, I will admit another secret of mine. As I mentioned above, some vampires have special qualities. I have one as well. I have the ability to read the minds of those around me. _

"What the fuck?" I whispered. I took a minute to blink and rub my eyes, and reread that last sentence. He can read minds? Could he read mine? Oh shit!

_Yours, in particular, is a fascinating find. In the beginning, the bloodlust I had for you clouded my ability, which perhaps led me to crave your companionship more as time passed. Once I was able to calm down the demon inside me, I was able to hear you. You have beautiful thoughts. They wrap around me, soothing me in a world of distasteful, greedy humans. Even when you agree with the harassment of those students, even when you stare at Mr. Banner and wish that he would go to a commune, even when you wished that you could hitch a ride to California, you were, and are, beautiful. I have to admit, your thoughts on me specifically are exceptionally flattering. No one has ever thought of me as more than a "hot piece of ass" or as a terrifying young man before. Your opinions are refreshing to me._

Fuck my life in epic proportions. The bastard knew I had a thing for him all along!

_I also wanted to clear up the matter that I inappropriately informed you of when last we spoke. Yes, I have watched you while you sleep. I assure you that it was mainly in order for me to get used to your scent. You see, since your blood calls out to me, it was incredibly difficult for me to be around you. It was suggested to me by Jasper to get accustomed to your scent, to desensitize me. I have never violated your privacy, though you may believe so. I have waited until you were asleep and covered in your bed._

Well, thank god for _that_. Least he wasn't a complete pervert.

_You have on occasion mentioned me in your sleep. I am sure that you are blushing as you read this and most likely feel embarrassed. Please don't. Again, you flatter me with your opinions and feelings. Hearing you call out to me, as if I am important to you, makes this immortal's frozen heart melt. _

Damnit, I blushed. Stupid sweet-talking vampire!

_Speaking of which, I thought that I would provide you with some background on myself, since I am sure you are wondering about my life before I was changed. _

Hmph. Egotistical much, Cullen? Why would I _care_ about your "human" life? Well…okay, I was curious. I can't help it!

_Most of my memories of that life are vague for me, but I will describe to you what I can. I was born in Chicago in 1901. My parents, Edward and Elizabeth Masen, loved me dearly and did what they could to provide me with a good home. My father was a lawyer, which allowed us to live comfortably in that time period. I had three best friends growing up: Wade, Jonathan, and Thomas. We built a tree house when I was twelve. We played cops and robbers a lot, driving my mother crazy when we would drag dirt into the house. Those are the happiest memories of my human life, as well as the clearest. My mother played the piano, and influenced my decision to learn from her. She was an angel when she played, pouring out her gentle soul with song._

_When I grew older, news of the war spread. Us strapping young boys grew excited to fight for our country. I wanted to make my father proud of his son by enlisting as soon as I turned eighteen. However, Chicago was engulfed in the spread of the Spanish Influenza the summer of my seventeenth year. My father perished first. It broke my mother's heart, and we both tried to get out of the city. She was stricken with the illness before we could. This was how I met Carlisle. He worked as a doctor in the hospital at the time, and treated my mother. I admired him for his strong will and large heart. When I was infected with the disease, I could tell he felt for me. _

_He told me later that my mother seemed to have a sense that Carlisle was not like other humans. She begged and pleaded with him to save my life. I was his first newborn. It was a terrifying experience at first, because my bloodlust was so strong, I was not permitted to be around humans for over a year. I was very angry with Carlisle at first. Who would want to live this life? Yet, when I saw you when we moved here, I realized my purpose. I was existing this long to meet you, Isabella. Fate brought us together, I truly believe that. I have never been a religious man, but that has changed since knowing you. I know in my heart that you are the one for me. _

Were tears forming in my eyes?

_It is my ultimate wish for you to live a life that is happy. Whether I am included in that is your decision. I have destroyed the trust that you had given me. If provided a second chance, I promise that I will spend the rest of eternity making it up to you. One additional fact about vampires is that we mate for life. For me, you are it. You are everything. There will never be someone else in this world that will hold my heart like you do in your delicate hands. Please, let me prove to you how special you are. How bright you are in my dark night. _

Yup. I was totally crying now.

_As much as I'd like for you to forgive me, I am aware that the opposite is possible. If you decide to not speak to me, then I will respect that, as painful as it will be. However, I will not stop watching over you. I will make sure no one causes you harm ever again. You deserve the world. All I want to see is your magnificent smile. To do so, I will provide all the power I possess to make you happy, regardless if I am a part of your life or not. It is the least that I can do. I also want to let you know that even if we never speak again, I will never stop loving you._

_Eternally yours,_

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

For over an hour, I reread the email. I memorized every paragraph, sentence, word. My heart swelled when I would look at his admittance of love. I imagined his fingers stroking the keys, typing out his feelings for what sounded like the first time ever.

This was _a lot_ to handle.

How do you respond to something like this? I thought about all the books I've read and movies I've watched. I wasn't like any of the girls in them: I wasn't a hopeless romantic who dreamed of being with the man of her dreams, even though Edward seemed to be perfect for me, _and_ was in most of my dreams.

_Was_ I in love with Edward? Would looking past his…erm…flaws…be plausible for me? I wasn't sure. Hell, my life had been so screwed up since school started that I didn't know left from right anymore. But, as I stared at my laptop screen as it sat on my lap in my bed, the idea that I just might be able to stomach all this insanity became clearer and clearer.

I mean, let's look at the pros and cons of being involved with Edward.

Cons:

He's not human.

He wants to suck my blood, which would make any kind of intimacy weird and/or dangerous.

He considers himself a monster. I didn't want to be surrounded by his emo brooding all the time.

He thinks it's alright to immerse himself in my world, to the point that he snuck into my room (which was still a mystery to me). Very uncool.

He isn't the only vampire. The entire family is undead. Do they accept me like he does? Would they have a problem with us being together? And if there's more than them…ones who _don't_ feed on animals, were they more dangerous?

Yeck! Okay, Bella. Time for the positives.

Pros:

He says he loves me. Of course this is the first one.

He _is_ able to kiss me, and do a fine job, I may add. Though, I don't have anything to compare it to. Whatever.

He could protect me from uncertain doom, such as he's done twice already.

He's lived through the roaring 20s, the swinging 60s, and funky 70s. I could learn a lot from that.

He's incredibly romantic when he wants to be. And sexy. BIG pro.

His family supposedly accepts me. They make me feel included, like I belong with them. Even if they _are_ dead. I don't get that with my own family.

Looks like the Pros have it.

Well…now what?

It was already the middle of the afternoon. I guess I stared at my screen a lot longer than I thought. Part of me wanted to jump into my car and drive to Edward's. Or call him. Or email him back a reply, instead. _Dear Edward, I don't mind you being a vampire. I love you anyway._ I puckered my lips and blew at how stupid that sounded.

Getting out of bed, I looked at the hot mess that was me in the mirror. I needed to clean myself up before deciding anything. I remained in the hot water for a good thirty minutes, just clearing my head and relaxing. As I got the towel wrapped around my damp skin, the doorbell rang. _Great timing!_ I scowled as I ran downstairs; my hands clamped tightly where the towel ends met. _If it's a girl scout or salesman I'm gonna…_

No one was there. When I opened the front door, there was nobody there. _Ding dong ditch?_ My eyes scanned the street. No teens. No cars. No nothing. It wasn't until I hung my head in annoyance that I saw the single red rose sitting on top of the muddy welcome mat. I leaned over carefully to pick it up. Surprisingly, a smile spread on my face as I smelled the petals. _Edward_.

He was playing romantic. A sneaky, ninja romantic. Well, I could be sneaky, too.

And it was time to put my plan into action.


	9. Happily Ever After is Such a Cop Out

**Author's Note:** Oh, snaaaaaap! We have come to the end! SO SOON? I know. This story could go on and on forever, probably. But my characters decide what to do, and I just write it out for them. Fear not, since so many people are begging for an epilogue, I will write one. Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. You make my writing worth it. I hope you enjoy the ending to this little tale. It's been real! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter IX.<strong>

**Happily Ever After is _Such_ A Cop Out.**

I walked into school on Monday with my head high and a smile on my face. The ignorance of my peers didn't bother me at all this time around: I was in full swing of my plan. Tentatively titled Operation make-Edward-sweat. Did vampires actually sweat? Hm.

Sure, I more or less forgave him. But he wouldn't know that quite yet. At least, he would be confused about it. Let him stew in it for a little while. I emailed Alice earlier that morning, giving her a short-and-sweet forgiving message, as well as letting her in on my plan. That way, she could play along and keep Edward in the dark. Although I had no idea how his mind-reading abilities worked, I came up with the idea of keeping my mind blank whenever I was in school and/or around him. Keep him guessing. I wanted, no, _needed_ to see his discomfort. Yeah, I know that sounds sick and twisted, but you'd understand if you were in my shoes.

Would it be easy for me to fawn over him, forgive him for everything and never look back at the mistakes he made? Sure. Did I want to play that way? Not a chance. He may be over a hundred years old (ew…I have to get used to knowing that…), but he was as absentminded and selfish as a seventeen year old that needed some ball-breaking. He knew he broke my trust. He needed to build it back up with me, before we were able to move forward as a couple. What _would_ sex be like with a vampire? I stopped dead in the middle of the hallway at the thought, knowing full well that my face turned crimson. _Cut it out, Swan! Otherwise your plan will go down the hole before it even starts!_

Angela noticed my change in behavior immediately while we sat at lunch. I made sure to fill my head with anything other than Edward, deciding to talk to Angela about her progress on the Quileutes. Eric told me he wanted to run some of her research in the paper, to which I agreed. _I should make up with Jake_, I thought, a devilish smile coming across my lips. _I miss him so much lately. _Now, I was totally being a bitch, making it sound like I wanted Jacob, when I knew that Edward could hear me. Again, he deserved to "sweat". I took up Angela's offer to hang out, and I suggested we stop by La Push and check out the cove by the beach. It was a place Jake and I liked to hang out at during the summer, because it reminded me of caves that were excavated on the National Geographic channel.

"Bella? I dunno if you care or not, but Edward looks like he's gonna burn holes into your back," Eric commented, a little nervous.

"Eh, let him do what he wants," I shrugged it off. Good. It was working. Biology was going to be great.

I received a couple text messages from Alice between classes. She told me that she was happy we were on speaking terms again, and that she would keep her distance for now. She also congratulated me on shaking Edward up, wishing me luck on my plan. I asked her not to tell me the outcome. I didn't want to have it ruined for me.

He was staring at me when I walked into the room. His eyes were obsidian. Clearly, he had not hunted or whatever in a couple days. I shivered. _Blank blank blank_.

I took a deep breath and sat down, gazing at the whiteboard at the front of the room, wondering what torture Banner was going to put us through. Opening my text book, I started thinking about my truck. I really missed my truck. I hated having Charlie's men drive me to and from school every day. Since I had not spoken to Jake in almost a month, I was starting to worry that maybe he scrapped my baby. Edward snorted.

"Bella, I could give you a ride home today…I think we should talk," he whispered as Banner walked in the room.

_Blank blank blank._

Ignoring him, I wrote viciously as Banner lectured. He didn't try speaking to me again the rest of class.

It would be a lie if I said this was easy. It wasn't. Not one bit. When you come to the realization that you care for someone, and have to ignore them, when all you want is to jump into their arms and feel them around you…yeah. I wasn't going to break, though!

Edward watched me diligently as I walked to the police cruiser. It was Tom taking me home this time. He was younger than the other officers, so we were able to kinda talk about stuff. My mind focused on the homework I had to do and what to make for dinner as I got into the car. I peeked over at the corner of the lot to see Alice flashing me a supportive grin. In that moment, I knew my plan would work.

Charlie was relieved that I was out of my weird mood. In celebration, we went to Paulies and ordered a ton of food that night. We both felt incredibly fat, yet satisfied, when we got home. There was another rose sitting at my front door. Charlie looked incredulous when he picked it up.

"Who left this here?" he asked, putting on his concerned dad face.

"I don't know," I mumbled, trying my best to stay calm. Charlie had no idea Edward and I were ever a thing. Now wasn't the best time to get into it.

"Hm. Do you have a secret admirer, Bells?" he asked, rubbing at his mustache as he thought. I shrugged.

"Dunno. Maybe."

Charlie didn't stay on the subject, and we went inside without mentioning it again. I took the rose to my room and placed it in the vase with the other one. I knew what Edward was up to. I wasn't backing down. He couldn't win me over that easy, even if he was romantic and sweet as fuck.

Every day that week, I continued ignoring Edward. His eyes were etching holes into my face in biology class and during lunch. It made my heart ache, actually. And every day I would come home to find another rose sitting on my doorstep. Luckily, Charlie had not seen any more since that first night, so it was easy to hide them.

The weirdest thing happened to me that Wednesday. A few girls in my history class started talking to me. _Nicely_. At first I acted stoic, when they started apologizing for being so mean to me. In P.E., the same thing happened with some of the guys I was teamed up with for basketball. Apparently, since the blondette twins were not running the school anymore, the hierarchy of dumbasses was crumbling. I had been so lost in my own issues, as well as had been ignored for so long, that I barely noticed the shift. Not to say that it was completely gone, of course. But it seemed that some of the saner students were finally growing backbones and thinking for themselves for once. Their words of sincerity sounded good. My guard wasn't down at all. The change filtered through the rest of my classes that week, and by Friday, I wasn't hearing as many insults or seeing as many dirty looks.

Being somewhat normal during school, as unknown and weird as it was, made me feel confident that I would be free of this shitty town when the time came. That I had a chance at surviving high school after all. I could concentrate on the fears of college and figuring out my career instead of my truck getting egged or hearing rumors that I humped the neighbor's dog or something.

Spending time with Angela was fantastic that Saturday. Going to La Push, though, was awkward. Really awkward. Like walking in on your parents having sex awkward. The confidence boost from school helped a lot. Jake was reserved around us for the most part, as I showed Angela around the cliffs on the beach and the cove. Seth and Jared joined us, taunting Jake and me to so some diving. I refuted, not in the mood to drown. Jake seemed distracted most of the time, looking off into the waves when Angela and I talked. Emily cooked us a big lunch, with every kind of sandwich and salad known to humanity. While we all ate with the guys, I started to wonder if the Quileute legends were as silly as I originally believed.

The shape-shifters, er, werewolves, were the natural enemies of vampires. And, well, vampires _did _exist. So, did the werewolves exist too? I remembered when I ate at the Cullens for the first time, how they all acted strange when I mentioned the Blacks. The sudden anger Jake had when I told him that the Cullens were being nice to me. The fury in his eyes when he found out Edward saved me from the wreck. It all fit. Creepily enough, it made some sick sort of sense.

I kept my composure well after my epiphany. Angela took more snapshots and went over what she could reveal in the school newspaper with Harry and Billy, before excusing herself to go home. I decided to stay a while; since Jake told me when we first got there that my truck was fixed. He and I sat in his small bedroom awkwardly at first, sitting just close enough that the sides of our thighs were touching. I figured that Jake would be too pigheaded to start the conversation, so I opened my mouth and licked my lips.

"Jake," I sighed.

"Bella, wait," he cut in, looking over at me with his big brown eyes. They were filled with hurt. "Before you say anything, I need to apologize for being such an asshole." Hm. Good articulation. One point for Jacob Black. He lowered his head, picking at the fringe on the side of his jeans. "I shouldn't have spread those rumors about you."

"The hell you shouldn't."

"I was just…so _angry_ about what was going on between you and the Cullens, and I reacted on impulse."

"You _knew_ how everyone treated me in school. You knew better than anyone, Jake. It still hurts me knowing that you would backstab me like that." He winced at my words.

"Yeah, I know."

"But, I am willing to forgive you for it," I shrugged. "Everything oddly enough worked out in the end. No one really teases me so much now, ever since the Halloween party…"

Jake shifted, pulling up his leg and crossing it over his other one, looking at me with a somber expression.

"God, Bells, I've been stupid. I should've been there to help you out. At least afterwards. But I'm stubborn as fuck."

"Yeah you are," I snapped, running a hand through my hair, nervously twirling an end of it around my forefinger. "Hey, Jake? Could I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Those legends of the shape shifters…they're real, aren't they?" When I looked over at Jake, I could see that his jaw was clenched. He wasn't expecting that question.

"N-no. Why would you ask that?" He sounded unprepared, looking at me anxiously.

"Because I know the truth, Jake," I said, looking down at my lap and lowering my voice. "I know about the Cullens."

"Holy…Bella, did they hurt you?" Jake growled, making me sprout off his bed in fear. I saw the fire in his eyes as he started to shake.

"No! No, Jake, please. They haven't even spoken to me since the party."

"Then how…?" he implored, struggling to keep his cool as he watched me with wide eyes.

"Edward admitted it to me, when he saved me from Tyler. He took the bullet for me, Jake. And I saw that he wasn't injured. He couldn't hide it, so the day after, he confessed."

"That son of a bitch…" Jake growled again.

"Please, Jake, you're scaring the shit out of me right now…" My own voice was shaking as I clutched my chest, backing into the wall next to his bed. He took a few deep breaths.

"I'm sorry Bella…I just…" He fisted his bedding so tightly I thought it would rip. Then, he looked at me. "You're not friends with them anymore, are you?"

"I…" I gulped. "I didn't want to be. Knowing that I had been hanging with a bunch of blood-sucking fiends didn't sit right with me," I explained. _Or sucking face with one._ "It terrified me," I added. Jake nodded in understanding, almost giddy with my anger. "After I had time to process everything that happened, I realized that I just don't have it in me to completely ignore them any longer."

"What?" he snarled. "Bella, they're _killers_!"

"Are you a werewolf, Jake?" I vomited out without thinking. His mouth fell open and he gawked at me. His silence answered my question. I took the time during those few moments to drink in the differences of Jacob's body. He was toned; bulkier than I remembered him being in the past. His muscles were defined and firm under the clothes he wore. He reminded me of Emmett, actually. Suddenly, I pictured the two of them wrestling like Jake always did on the beach with his buddies, and fought the urge to smirk. This was definitely not the time for that.

Jake closed his eyes, lowering his head into his hands and shaking it. "I can't believe this."

"Don't even start the not believing, Jake. How do you think I feel? Knowing that my newest, closest friends were a fucking coven of _vampires_! And then finding out that _you_, my absolute best friend, partner in crime, are a _werewolf_…don't you think I'm handling this pretty fucking well? Shit!" Well, there goes my filter again. I didn't really care, either. I was beyond frustrated. Jake peered over at me again, his eyes glazed over with what looked like remorse.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before…"

I shrugged. "Lemme guess, there are rules, and you couldn't expose yourself, right?"

"How did you know?" His flabbergasted expression didn't faze me. I rolled my eyes.

"Edward essentially told me the same thing. Basically, he told me he had to keep his truth a secret. I figure it's because my knowing would put me in danger, right? Is that the same for knowing about you?" My voice was finally coming down from my high, and I leaned against the wall. Jake was quiet for a while, probably collecting his thoughts.

"The leech was right for the most part," he said with a deep sigh. "It's not good for us if humans know we exist."

"When did this all happen, Jake? You're not the only one, are you?"

"No, I'm not," he grumbled. He bit down the corner of his bottom lip, scratching his upper shoulder and shrugging before he continued. "It happened to me about five months ago. Remember when I got really sick with the flu?" I nodded. "Well, that was actually the change. You get a nasty fever, are bedridden, then the next time you get really pissed, you phase. I was the lucky one because I wasn't the first. Sam was. He had to do it alone, scared shitless. Anyway, pretty much all us guys can phase. Seth was the last one; he changed back in August."

"Hmm," I hummed. "I'm not gonna become puppy chow when they find out I know, am I?" Jake scowled at my joke, eliciting a smirk on my end.

"Of course not. Unlike those _leeches_, we are protectors. Not predators."

"Those 'leeches'," I groaned. "may become my friends again. So, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't be so rude." Oh, Jake didn't like that _at all_.

"Bells, you can't be serious!"

"I am, Jake. See, I don't have a weird long history between them. Yeah, the idea that they may want to kill me is a bit unnerving. Well, that's a lie. It's downright scary. But they are still very nice people, and it seems to me they only want to live peacefully with humans. I can respect them for that. And, even though I am pissed they kept this all a secret, they never once did anything to intentionally hurt me. If they wanted me dead, Edward would have let me die in that car crash, or get shot. He didn't, so clearly he isn't so much a monster as he, or you, want me to think."

"You are so stubborn," Jake grumbled, not liking my response. I had a few valid points, though. He knew it, too.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway, Jake," I sighed, feeling exhausted emotionally. "Go ahead. Do the shapeel about how you're gonna watch my every move to make sure I'm safe. That I'll always be protected. I can see you're itching to say it."

"Bella," he whispered. "You know how I feel about you, right?" I gulped, having a feeling all day that this would come up, but dreading it nevertheless.

"Yeah. I do." He was silent, making me feel sick. Breaking his heart was not on my agenda today.

He watched me carefully, searching for a reaction that I just couldn't give him. "You feel that way about _him_, don't you…"

My cheeks flared when I nodded. "Yeah." He looked dejected; dropping his hands to his bed and looking away from me. "I'm sorry, Jake."

"I've only got myself to blame, Bells. Stupid lee-_Edward _got to you first. Just wish you weren't so reckless." His tone was dark, borderline sarcastic. And heartbroken. I frowned. "Promise me something, okay?"

"Uh…what is it?" I raised an eyebrow as Jake stood up, hanging his head as he walked over to me. When he lifted his face to see mine, I saw the hint of tears laced around his eyes.

"Wh-if he hurts you, in _any_ kind of way, I'll be waiting. Promise that you'll let me know if you get hurt." His large hands took my shoulders and he pressed his warm forehead against mine. I felt his hot breath as my own shallowly passed through me.

"Promise, Jake," I said.

It was getting late, so I decided to leave after we both cooled down. In all honesty, it was killing me to see the pain in Jake's eyes. He was a good kid. But I didn't like him _that_ way. I half expected the other guys to come barreling from the forest, all pissed about my knowledge or at least shout out some threats against the Cullens. It didn't happen. Instead, Jake showed me to my truck, somberly handing me my keys and pointing out what he fixed. I thanked him a handful of times before reassuring him that we were still best pals.

Driving home was sad. It started to rain, and I found myself crying subtly while on the road. I wondered how much a human heart could take? I was teetering on a breakdown. I started thinking about my plan for Edward. How he looked when I blatantly ignored him that whole week. It cracked little holes in my heart. I had fallen for him hard, hadn't I? I was in love with an immortal with a serious I-have-no-soul complex and control issues. And it didn't matter. In the end, it really didn't matter. And I was being a serious bitch, playing around with him like I was. Neither one of us deserved it.

Twenty minutes later, I was entering the long driveway that led me to the Cullen house. The multitude of emotions swarming around me was becoming too much. The rain was pouring down now, but I didn't falter as I grabbed my hoodie, slid it over my shirt, propped up the hood, and ran to the front door. Of course, being the idiot I am, I wasn't looking, and slipped on the smooth cobblestone walkway. I shut my eyes and braced for impact. I was frozen in midair when cold arms swooped around my waist and shoulder, pulling me to my feet before I could even hit the ground. I gasped as I opened them, recognizing the enriching, sweet scent immediately. "E-Edward…"

His golden eyes melted my resolve, and I crushed myself against his hard chest, sobbing. _I am so sorry, I am so sorry, I am so sorry. _My head was on repeat as he held me close, wrapping a hand at the base of my head and resting his chin on my soaking wet hair. As we stood in the rain at the front of his house, it all seemed to click. I had my a-ha moment. _This_ is where I belonged. In Edward's safe, strong arms. Nothing else mattered, not his past, not his family, not my insecurities. Everything felt _right_ when I was with him. I never wanted to give that up.

"Bella," Edward whispered, sliding a few fingers under my chin and lifting my head. The gold popped through the thick water droplets, making my knees weak with their intensity. "Let's go inside." I nodded hesitantly, letting him take my hand and lead me into the house. My walk left a wet, muddy trail into the entryway, and I felt terrible for making a mess. "Don't worry about it. Esme will have it cleaned up in no time," Edward said. Oh, right. He could read my thoughts. Almost forgot about that. There was a slight smirk on his lips as he disappeared from my sight for only a second, returning with a thick, fluffy blue towel and a change of clothes. "I hope you don't mind wearing some of my clothing while yours dry," he said nervously, wrapping the towel around my shoulders. It felt soft.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, seeing that we were alone in the house.

"Hunting," he replied, pained. My shoes squeaked against the wood and I bit my lip. This was going to be even more awkward than speaking with Jake. Edward coughed. "Would you like to use the restroom to change?" I was still a bit shocked, so it took me a few seconds to register his question.

"Oh, uh, yeah," I mumbled, taking his clothing and walking into the nearest bathroom. He had given me a pair of sweatpants, similar to the ones I saw him in the first night I stayed over. There was also a black, V-neck tshirt. I piled the wet clothes on top of the sink, frowning at how frazzled I looked in the mirror. After peeling off my bra and undies (that made me blush, but it was too wet to keep on), I slipped into his clothes and tried to towel-dry my hair. God, the clothes _smelled_ of him. It made my insides quiver. There was a knock at the door, and I heard him ask if everything was alright. "Yup, be out in a minute," I replied, finishing the hacked-up drying job. My fingers were a makeshift hairbrush, and after thirty seconds of fail, I shrugged and exited the bathroom. Edward held out his hand to take my clothes, rushing to put them in the dryer.

Super speed. Another thing I'll need to get used to.

"Bella, I think we need to talk," Edward said with a distant look in his eyes when he returned to my side. I bobbed my head, agreeing.

_You've got that right, buddy._ "Could we do it somewhere more comfortable than the entryway?" I asked. He smiled slightly and nodded, suggesting the living room. He assured me that his family would not return for a few hours, so we'd have all the time we'd need. I sat on the couch first, feeling fragile as Edward watched my every move. "Relax, I'm not gonna run off or anything," I said, irritated.

"I apologize, Bella, I am just surprised that you are here, is all." You and me both.

"Well," I started, leaning into the comfy back cushion as Edward joined me at my side. "I guess you could say I decided a few things. I take it Alice didn't let you on about any of it?"

"No, she did not," he groaned, obviously flustered. Good. My plan worked.

"What plan?" he asked, looking at me with furrowed brows.

"I'll get to that. I think there are a few more important matters to go over first, don't you?" He nodded slowly, continuing to watch me with complete concentration. "First of all, I _really_ don't like the fact that you lied to me."

"I didn't mean to," he tried to cut in, but I thrust up my hand to stop him.

"Let me finish, please." I shot him a glare. He closed his mouth. "I understand that you didn't mean to lie. You had to, for my protection and your own. It took me a long time to understand that, but I do. I also don't appreciate that you snuck into my room, without my consent, and watched me in my most vulnerable state. I get that you did it for a legitimate reason, and again, it took me a long time to process that. Forgiveness is a tough feeling, Edward. I know deep down I do forgive you for what you did, however, don't think that everything is washed away and the slate is clean. Because it's not." He acquiesced, taking in my words. I took a deep breath. "Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to know a few things."

"Absolutely," he replied, a little too quickly for my comfort.

"When was the last time you killed a human?" Hard questions had to come first. His eyes hardened and I could see the wheels turning.

"1986. He was a criminal that was raping and killing young women in the city we were living at the time. I was so angry when I spotted him luring a helpless girl down an alleyway, I lost control. I had not fed for a few days at that point, and so it was harder to silence my urges." I held a breath, imagining him pull a Dracula: swing a cape around the guy, clamp his fangs down on his neck, and drink. "It is not at all like that, Bella."

"How is it, then?"

"We do not have fangs," he said, pointing to his glorious lips. "Our teeth are incredibly sharp due to the venom we are infected with when we change. If you noticed, when we have…kissed…in the past, I never let your tongue graze along them. If that happened, your tongue would be sliced off in an instant." I thought back to the few times we had kissed.

"What else is untrue about vampires?"

"We do not need to sleep."

"At all?"

"No." I stared at him, incredulous. He had a bed in his room! "Appearances, Bella." Oh. Well, then.

"So, no coffins hidden in the basement?"

"Myth."

"Can you be hurt by holy water and garlic?"

"Myth."

"Um…what about silver or crosses?"

"More myths."

"Huh. What about sunlight then?" I pointed my finger to him and wiggled it, making him look at me curiously. "You can walk around just fine around Forks. No bursting into flames."

"Sunlight doesn't hurt us, but there is some truth to the myth. We cannot go into direct sunlight."

"Why?"

"I will show you sometime, if you like," he sighed. Note to self: shove Edward into the sun at some point. He shook his head lowly. I started thinking about even tougher questions, with one screaming at me from the back of my head.

"How were you able to not kill me during the crash?" I asked softly, laying my hands in my lap restlessly. "You said my blood called to you, right? Well, I was cut up in the car…"

"It was difficult," he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "There was a lot of blood around me at the time. Between yours and the others, it was hard for me to find the strength."

"So how'd you do it?"

"I concentrated on your heartbeat," he replied simply. "It has become my lifeline, Bella." I subdued a scoff. A grunt came out instead. "You do not believe me." His statement sounded hollowed with doubt.

"This is all really fucked up, Edward," I deadpanned, biting down on the corner of my lip as I looked at him. "You told me in that email that Alice saw me dying. Basically, you said you stuck around me to keep me alive. It sounded like the only reason." _What else am I supposed to think with everything going on?_

His cold hand carefully reached over my thigh, grasping one of mine. Jolts shot through my veins, boiling and freezing my blood at the same time.

"Bella, my Bella." Hearing him call me _his_, as caveman as it sounded, made me feel good. Great, in fact. The way my name rolled off his tongue, as if it were the sole string keeping him to the ground…it made me feel like I was genuinely wanted. "I have loved you since the day you were born. I just was not aware of it. I know that I've been an ass; a selfish, ignorant fool that did not consider your feelings in my actions. Please believe me when I say that I am deeply sorry for hurting you."

"You _really_ love me, Edward?" I barely got the words out before I felt his hand slip around the back of my neck, tangling itself in my soppy hair. My lips collided with his in a slow, sensual, exploratory kiss that made my mind explode in ways I never knew possible. He smiled into the kiss, leaning over me more, hovering over my body. _What is happening? Why does he have to feel so good? _My head vibrated with doubt and worry and lust and hope. Edward pulled away reluctantly, letting me gasp for air. His cool breath soothed my burning cheeks and I sighed.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked playfully, wiping sweat from my brow and pulling back some hair from my face. For a few minutes, as we just held each other, my mind was completely blank. Not forced, like it had been during the past few weeks. It was utterly vacant.

"What did I say in my sleep?" I asked sheepishly. Edward drew back, taking in a breath with a twinkle in his darkened gold eyes.

"You speak about school occasionally," he said, looking lost in his memory. "There were nights where you had terrible nightmares. Those were the worst to oversee. You would cry out in pain, begging for someone to help you. It took all I had to stay away from your writhing body." I thought back to some of those nightmares. They made me shiver.

"How long have you been sneaking into my bedroom?" My voice deepened.

"I began four days after we moved here. Being around you at school had become very dangerous. Jasper suggested that I get accustomed to your scent by exposing myself to it as much as possible. So, I sat under your window at night initially. Then, when I built up enough tolerance, I made my way inside." I bit my lip and looked away from him. The Cullens moved to Forks almost two years ago. I figured he had been doing it for a while, but not _that_ long! "I stopped after about a week," he carried on, knowing what I was thinking. "I did not start it again until Alice told me of her vision."

"Why?"

"I wanted to be closer to you, Bella. Closer than just sitting next to you in a class. When she told me you could die, I realized just how important you are to me. To my existence. The very idea of you not living anymore brought me to near sickness, which is saying something," he sighed, defeated. I felt compelled to touch his face, and he leaned into my palm as I cradled his jaw with one of my hands. He felt wonderful against me. "That is when you started mentioning me in your sleep."

"What did you hear?" I didn't mean for my voice to crack at the end of my question, but the fear overtook me then. He stared into my eyes as a small smirk appeared from his mouth.

"Quite a few things. I already knew that you found me attractive, which didn't shock me much since that is a common thought among females, and some males, when I am around. What did shock me, however, was the intensity of your need for me in your dreams." I fidgeted underneath his thighs as he held his half-straddle position over me. "You longed for companionship. For love. You still do. I can see it in those chocolate orbs of yours," he leaned over enough that our foreheads connected. "You especially longed for my touch." I whimpered when I felt his hand pull mine away from him, sliding it downwards to rest at his chest. His lips pecked my nose before lowering to the crook of my neck. He kissed me there tenderly, sending me on another Edward-induced high. The tops of his hair made me giggle slightly as they poked at my cheek. Everything he was doing to me felt like liquid ecstasy being inserted right into my bloodstream. A foreign cry came from my lips as I arched into him, wanting to feel him everywhere. Why was I ever mad at this god of a man?

There was sudden movement from him, and I found myself alone on the couch in an instant. He clung to the bookshelf nearby, breathing heavily and looking at me through hooded obsidian eyes. "Give me a moment," he hushed me before I could even think of something to say.

"Why do your eyes change?" I word-vomited. "They're black now, when they're usually golden." _And absolutely fucking gorgeous to look at_. I hoped the question would calm him down.

"They change from golden to black when I have not fed. They are gold from drinking animal blood. If I drank from a human, they would appear a bright burgundy." He pulled at his hair slightly, sucking in his bottom lip and closed his eyes. God damnit, he was so hot. "Bella, your thoughts are not helping me here." My face turned scarlet.

"Then why are they so dark now?"

"They will darken when I feel aroused," he said calmly, yet I could tell he was restraining himself. The blush deepened, as well as my guilt. I felt terrible that he had to hold back. "Don't feel that way, Bella. If I were to ever lose control with you, it would result in fatal consequences."

"You mean you could hurt me?" Well that was stupid ass question. Of course he could hurt me. He could snap my neck if he wanted to. Rip my throat out, shatter my bones, and throw me like a paper ball…

"Bella, _please_…"He growled. I gasped.

_Sorry._ "Not used to the whole you can hear me thing." _Or the lack of privacy now that I'm aware of it._

"It's alright." There was a brief moment of silence as he composed himself. I knew it was safe when he opened his eyes and flashed me his trademark crooked grin. His eyes were returning to gold.

"So, um, what happens now?" I wondered aloud. There were still so many unanswered questions. So many fears about what our relationship, whatever it was going to be, would mean to us, our families, and our future. I had thought about it already the last month, but now that it was staring at me in the face, _literally_,it caged me.

Edward was at my side once again, pulling me into a gentle embrace that melted me into a puddle of goo.

"What do you wish to happen, Bella?" His voice was velvety, like a lullaby as he spoke. "You know how I feel."

_And you know how I feel. Don't play that game with me, Cullen,_ my mind snapped.

"I want you to be the one to decide how this goes. It was never my intention to pressure you into anything."

How _did_ I want this to end? Usually, love stories ended with an epic kissing scene and a silhouetted walk into the sunset. I hated romantic comedies for exploiting the few good ideas for happy endings. But this wasn't a multi-million dollar Jennifer Aniston-starring film. This was real life. _My_ life. I knew that there were still a whole slew of thing Edward and I needed to discuss. He needed to respect boundaries and learn how to treat me as an equal. I, in turn, needed to learn all I could about vampires and how to protect him and myself. This wasn't an average teenage romance. Fuck, it wasn't an average anything.

Edward snorted in amusement. I scowled, lightly smacking his hard chest.

"I do know one thing for sure, Mr. Cullen," I whispered into the cotton of his shirt. "I want you in my life. Every day. No matter what." He squeezed me tighter, sighing contently at my answer. He was relieved.

"Every day for forever, Isabella."

_I could live with that_.


	10. Epilogue: And So We Come Full Circle

**Author's Note:** Finally! Sorry it took longer than I thought to get this out, guys. But getting settled into grad school has been killing me the last couple weeks, so it was really hard for me to get enough time to write this. Thanks for sticking with me through this story. And all the feedback I've gotten has been much appreciated. I love all my readers. And so, this story has come to an end. I hope you enjoy this, and if you are interested, please don't hesitate to check out _Starlight Vows_ and _Love is Worth the Fall_. Without further ado, here is the epilogue!

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><p><strong>Chapter X.<strong>

**Epilogue: ****And So We Come Full Circle.**

"Is that the last of it?"

I took one final scan of the trunk, rubbing my brow with a drawn-out sigh.

"You betcha." _Thank the Lord!_ I huffed to myself. My arms were throbbing from carrying all the damn boxes to and fro. "Thanks for the help, Dad."

"Not a problem, Bells," my old man of a father said, walking back out of the small building. "I'm not _that_ decrepit yet," he snorted when I smirked at him.

"Sure, Dad. That's why the guys at work are placing bets on your early retirement." He scowled at my mention. I laughed loudly, holding my sides when he blew through his mustache like an agitated Santa Clause at the mall. Tears were welling up at the corners of my eyes.

"What is so funny?" The voice of the heavenly gods above (eh, so I'm a literate romantic, sue me) flew towards me, making me turn and peer around my trusty beast. I resisted the urge to clobber when I saw the bronze tufts of hair bouncing lazily on the young man's head. _Ha. Young. Whatever._

"Nice to see you joined us after all," Charlie commented with a stretch of his arms. "But Bells and I took care of it."

"My apologies for arriving so late," Edward said sadly. He came at my back, wrapping his arms around me like he was my personal blanket._ More like an icepack. Ha ha. Sorry, I can't help it. Blame the lack of sleep!_ "I'm sure I can still be of some use, at least when it comes to unpacking," he added. I felt his lips curve upwards against my hair. Good to know he was amused by my less-than-stellar midday humor. "You look exhausted. Why don't you take a break while I help Bella set up the kitchen?" Charlie looked impressed with Edward's prowess, nodding gingerly.

"Sounds like a great idea, actually. You sure you're good for now, Bella?" He looked over at me warily. I smiled at him.

"I'm all set, Dad. Go get some coffee. I'll think of something to whip up for food."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I stopped by a store on the way and picked up a few things," Edward said as he reluctantly let go of me. My eyes darted over to his Volvo, taking notice of the mountain of grocery bags in the back seat. Charlie waved as he sat in his car. I sighed heavily, feeling the aches of the day congeal into one big sensation of OW. As soon as Charlie was out of sight, I turned to Edward, crossed my arms, and narrowed my eyes.

"What's this about shopping? Did you forget what we talked about? Hmm?" I added foot-tapping, just to annoy him. He grinned impishly at me.

"You cannot expect me to at least provide you with some human necessities! Think of it as a housewarming gift."

"Apartment-warming," I corrected, waving a finger at him. "And having you here with me is the best gift I could ask for, anyway." _Course Charlie won't know that for a little while…_

Edward shook his head, as if what I said was pure crap, and opened his door to grab the bags. He took them all inside in one trip, setting them across the island countertop in the small kitchen. I stared at him from the front door, still not over his inhuman speed and strength. He chuckled as he stood back up, making me gasp from the sheer beauty of his physique. _Shit, am I drooling again?_ Ugh. I stomped back outside, admiring the little rural area I was now in. No one was out and about, thankfully. It would be nice and quiet. The warmth of the new state was welcoming, coating me in moist heat. Another yawn escaped me and I stretched out my arms towards the sky.

The bright California sun washed over me as it poked through the heavy clouds, making my tanning skin glow a faint caramel. When I felt Edward's arms surround my waist, I froze mid-breath. What was he doing outside?

"Relax, Love. It's safe, I assure you," he cooed at my earlobe, kissing it lovingly. I instantly melted into his chest, admiring the glistening of his skin at he held me. It reminded me of billions of sequins being under a spotlight on a stage, dazzling me into a frenzy every time I saw it. _Skin of a killer, my ass,_ I thought, remembering when he showed me his peculiar "quality". I, of course, disagreed and thought that outside of a few puns, he looked cool. "How are you feeling?"

"Bushed, honestly. But happy. I'm glad we got the hard part over with," I replied, nuzzling the side of my face into his chest so I could smell his sweetness. Damn him and his inability to sweat. I probably reeked and felt gross.

"You're perfect," he said, refuting my thoughts. "And you do not 'reek'. You smell of strawberries and sunshine, like usual."

"_Wonderful_," I grunted, disagreeing wholeheartedly. "When will Alice be joining us?" I asked, breaking from his embrace and motioning for his sparkly ass to follow me inside. He frowned. For multiple reasons, I was sure. I can't help it if my filter snapped in half when I was tired!

"Tomorrow. She said that the others will join us at the end of the week, after we have everything settled."

"I bet she's _real_ excited to start decorating this place," I shrugged, looking at all the bland, off-white walls that taunted me.

"It's Alice. Of course she is." Edward sauntered to the kitchen, putting everything he bought away in like five milliseconds. Who needs help when you have your own dynamo of a vampire for a boyfriend?

"Dynamo? Really, Bella?" Edward grumbled with arched eyebrows as I dove into the small couch that came with the place.

"Ahhhhhh!" I sighed obnoxiously, ignoring Edward's response. "She better not go and spend thousands of bucks on new everything. I like this old couch. Has character. Like a lot of other old things I know…" I teased, fluttering my eyelids as I glanced in his direction. He tried to hide his smile, but I caught it as it pinched at the corners of his mouth. He was sliding a jug of orange juice into the refrigerator. "What did you get that we can have for din-din?"

"Some steak for Charlie and hamburger for you. Will that be suffiecent?"

"Did you remember the sweet potato fries?"

He scoffed theatrically. "Of course. What kind of boyfriend do you take me for, Miss Swan, to think that I would forget such an important portion of your trademark supper?" I snickered. He was adorable when playing drama king.

"Alright, then. I think I tossed the pots and pans box over by the sink?" Begrudgingly, I shoved myself off the polyester cushions and joined Edward in the kitchen. The box was small, covered in my not-so-amazing tape job. Edward laughed quietly to himself as I failed to rip the adhesive from the cardboard.

With a grunt, I yanked on a part of the tape that _did_ come loose. Unfortunately for me, my flip-flops slid along the freshly-waxed tile floor a little too hard and I landed right on my butt. Edward's eyes conveyed concern, while the amusement on his face turned my face bright red. "Would you like some help?"

"No. I'm not as defenseless as you like to treat me as, Mister Cullen," I growled with frustration. He silenced himself, knowing better than to argue with me while I was pissed. On my hands and knees, I set off across the floor in focused determination, ripping through one of my plastic containers of silverware. I returned to my packaged foe with a sharp knife. I wondered if the look I was giving the box was the same as how Edward looked at deer or elk.

"Please, Bella, I think this situation is a _little_ different than that?"

"Pfft," I snorted, stabbing into the tape like a champ. I pulled out a couple pans for the meat and a small cookie sheet for the fries. Edward placed everything on the stove for me, and I jumped up in triumph with a small pot for veggies. "I am victorious!"

Edward shook his head while pulling out a bottle of diet coke, handing it to me. "As silly as you are, I cannot help but be entranced by you," he commented. I winked at him playfully. "Charlie will be back in about four minutes." I smiled mischievously as I inched closer to him.

_That's enough time, right?_ I thought. His golden eyes darkened, just how I liked them, and he leaned over to pull me into a tight hug.

"Never," he whispered. "There is never enough time for what I'd like to do with you." Then his lips were on mine.

I guess at this point I should better explain my situation. My last year of high school was much more pleasant after what happened to me. Having Edward and his family at my side every day seriously helped. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper warmed up to me, and I spent some days at lunch with the Cullens. Angela and Eric even sat with us a few times. Not to say it was all perfect. It wasn't. Having to deal with the whole Edward-is-a-vampire, on top of Jake-is-a-werewolf…well…let's just say I didn't get a lot of decent sleep for a few months.

Edward was very understanding, as always, and bore with me when I freaked out those few times. I mean, watching Emmett tackle a grizzly bear _was_ gruesome to watch. Edward was against me ever seeing him or his family hunt, but Emmett insisted. Alice didn't see anything dangerous happen, so I didn't see why not. Fate had other ideas, and the smell of the blood made me feel incredibly nauseous. As soon as I saw the red trails down Emmett's chin and neck, I lost my lunch. I felt bad for Esme. Edward forbade me from ever going hunting with them again after that. I was okay with that.

Having to deal with his control issues was an entirely different obstacle that still gave me headaches if I thought about it. Coming from an old-fashioned era and being alone for so long had put Edward in a very rigid way of seeing the world. I kept telling him to trust me. That I wasn't going to shatter into millions of pieces if I walk across the street at night alone. He was always watching over me, well, more like _hovering _over me, those first few months after everything went down. After a huge blowout, where we both said hurtful things we didn't mean, he calmed down. He came to respect that I needed my independence. He tells me often that my strength and independent nature makes him love me more. I think he gets off on the fact that I will break his balls once in a while. Either way…

One of the hardest things I did was visit Jessica in the hospital. The average person would probably look at me and ask me if I was crazy. Maybe I was. But I had to come to terms with what happened in order to let it go and move on. I desperately wanted to bury the old Bella "Smelly Belly" Swan. Edward was with me for support, but he knew this was something I had to face myself. I remember how vulnerable Jessica looked in physical therapy, clinging to those bars that people used when trying to learn to walk again. Our meeting wasn't the best in the world, though I did see regret in her eyes when she saw me. She played it off, barely saying more than two words to me while I stood there, staring at her. I had no clue what to say to her, outside of my condolences on Lauren's death. I think just seeing her one last time was enough for me. When I walked out of there that day, with Edward at my side, I knew for a fact that the "whorebag" was dead. A new, stronger Bella was born.

There were a few incidents that did happen, still. Newer blondettes had sprung up during my senior year, and they decided that they wanted to keep the rumors flying. For a while people thought I was pregnant, which was fun to deal with every day. Again, I had the Cullens and my other friends by my side, at more students decided to stick around with me, too. I took it all in stride, just counting down the days until I could leave. _Other_ incidents happened, too. We had a run-in with other vampires from time to time. The first encounter was really scary because I didn't know how to react. But the others handled it fairly well, and I learned to just hide or pretend to be a snack for them so we'd be left alone.

Graduation from high school was a bit surreal. I teased Edward constantly, asking him what number this diploma was. He told me that he had graduated from high school dozens of times over the years, and went onto college to get degrees in medicine, law, and literature. I called him a showoff. He smirked at me. When I walked across that stage, with all those assholes that had made my life hell for so long, I silently said goodbye. I'd never have to deal with them again. I finally was free of the hold that Forks had over me. As soon as the diploma was in my hand, I started plotting my escape.

I got accepted into San Francisco State University, and plan on going into psychology. Probably to be a counselor or something like that. Edward plans on going to the same university, but "lives somewhere else" as far as Charlie knows. Charlie took Edward and me as a couple pretty well, considering Edward had saved my life a few times. For a good year he made sure I had new cans of pepper spray in my purse (which was ridiculous considering it wouldn't even make Edward cough). Even he heard the pregnant scare, which led to a _very_ awkward sex talk.

Speaking of sex, well, that's an interesting topic. For the longest time Edward was terrified of even seeing me nude. He explained to me the details of the bloodlust he had. It grew stronger whenever he got horny, resulting in numerous makeout sessions that stopped abruptly, leaving both of us frustrated on many levels. About six months ago, for senior prom, Edward had surprised me with a hotel room in Seattle. And not the cheap motel kind. He booked us one of those fancy president's suites that was a mansion in of itself. With his crazy driving (all the Cullens drove like Alice), we made the hours-long trip in one. Alice had been sneaky with keeping this a secret. I still am pretty pissed that she didn't give me any hint at all. Edward knew I hated surprises, but when he took me into the marble-coated suite, I didn't care.

I don't know how he managed to feed enough to dull his need to kill me. Whatever he did, it was a miracle. I won't go into details, so let me just say that the night was fan-fucking-tastic. Not that I have anything to go by. I know it was a hell of a lot better than what I heard the bimbos say in school, or what movies showed. It wasn't crazy, hormonally-charged teenage sex, either. Edward _loved_ me. He proved it to me that night. If I said It didn't hurt, or that I didn't wake up feeling beyond sore all over my body and didn't a few dark marks around my neck that I had to furiously hide for a week, well, you get the picture. Nothing is perfect, not even Edward Cullen. I'm okay with that.

"Bella, could you _please_ think about something else?" Edward groaned as he helped me wash and dry the dishes. Charlie had left a few minutes beforehand, full and exhausted. I offered for him to stay the night, but he mumbled something about seeing an old coworker the next county over, so I didn't push him. I would've rather spent my first night in my new apartment with Edward, anyway. The husky nature of his tone made my cheeks flush, and I nearly dropped the dish in my hand. I gave him a shy grin, taking his wet wrist out from under the hot water, humming at how his skin felt warm. I gently kissed his palm, watching as his eyes darkened underneath his long lashes. "You're evil, Isabella."

"Only when I want to be," I teased, licking my lips and blowing him a kiss. Within a second, my back was thrust against the island and Edward's hands were crawling up my back. He buried his face in my hair at the base of my neck, taking in my scent and leaving tiny kisses along my skin. It felt like I was on cloud nine. Maybe eight. Hell, Edward shot me straight to the top, who was I kidding? He smiled into my collarbone. _Are we gonna go cheesy and do it right on the counter?_ I thought lustfully.

"We don't '_do it'_, Bella. I abhor how people refer to making love as that," he grunted without his lips leaving my trembling flesh. My nails dug into his back as I wanted to feel him everywhere.

A lot of things had changed since we met. I won't deny it. It seemed like I had burst out of my protective shell. I was outgoing, sassier (as Alice coined it), and had a lot more self-confidence.

"I know, I know," I sighed into his hold, letting him take his time with me. His fingers shocked me as they slid up my shirt. God, he always smelled like vanilla, mint, and fresh rain. I easily became drunk on it on more than one occasion.

"You drove me absolutely insane today," he growled. Did I mention that he is _hot_ when he growls? It's so primal and inhuman. I loved it.

"Did I now? How so?" I egged him on, suddenly losing touch with the floor as he lifted me with ease, setting me atop the counter. I wrapped my legs around his waist. I think my heart was having its own metal show and forgot to turn down the bass. It was beating so hard.

Another growl. _Hot._ "Watching you load up your truck, flexing your muscles under your clothes and perspiring." I snorted slightly.

_You can say sweat. Perspiring makes it sound so medical and un-sexy._

Edward broke away from me, making me whimper. His eyes were darker than obsidian, making me practically drool.

"Regardless of the terms I use, Bella, you were magnificent. You have no idea what you do to me."

"Oh," I grinned, pulling him back close to me. "I have some idea."

The next morning, I woke up in the arms of Edward, sighing happily into his marble chest. He was cuddling me gently, looking down at me with his crooked grin as his golden eyes glimmered in the light. "Morning," I yawned.

"Good morning. I presume you slept well?"

"Don't I always when you're around?" I sat up and stretched.

"Alice will be here within the hour," he informed me as I slid out of the full-sized bed. "She already has blueprints of what she wants to do the next few days."

"Oh _great_," I exclaimed sarcastically. I loved Alice to bits. I really did. She was like a sister I never had. But the chick has been, and always will be nuts. Especially in terms of makeovers.

We made our way into the kitchen so I could do my humanly duty and scarf down some cereal. Edward made some coffee and warned me of some of the plans Alice had. Nothing too insane. Not yet. After a quick shower and tossing on some jeans and a tank top, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and stood outside with Edward to wave Alice into the driveway.

She was grinning from ear to ear underneath the large oval sunglasses. Her hair was spiked as usual, and I could tell that there were stacks of items already in her car for the apartment. I groaned. Edward squeezed my arm to calm me. It barely worked. Alice practically flew at me from her Porsche, grabbing me into an intense hug that stole my breath away. "Nice to see you too, Alice," I strained through my teeth. She giggled softly as she let me go.

"Oh, Bella! Isn't this exciting? Your very own place!" Long, slender fingers slid the sunglasses down the bridge of her nose, and she glanced between the two of us happily.

"Exciting, yes, sure. What do you plan to do, Obi-One?" I sneered, seeing the wicked eagerness all over her pale face. Some things, I had learned, would never change when it came to the Cullens.

"You'll love it all, I promise," she guaranteed without directly answering me. My stomach plummeted. This was going to be a long couple of days.

By the end of the week, my apartment finally became my home. Alice wasn't kidding. I absolutely loved everything she did. All the furniture was replaced, outside of the couch. I refused to part with it. Edward understood. The carpeting in the living room and bedroom was replaced, going from a pale green color to a dark mauve. We painted the walls pale purple, and hung white and black curtains over the windows. Alice got me a glass coffee table, very upscale barstools for the island, and a master bed for my room. That surprised me since I didn't think the room was big enough to fit such a huge bed. Guess I was wrong. Edward purchased a giant flat screen television for the living room, telling me that Carlisle and Esme wanted me to have it as a gift. I rolled my eyes. We spent one of the days shopping for some new appliances and cookware, and then Alice demanded to go clothing shopping. "You can't be near San Francisco and _not_ check out all the chic stores!" She had reprimanded me when I complained.

We also visited the college campus. Classes were going to start in two weeks, and I needed to get some maps, my parking permit, and figure out the financial aid crap. Edward had offered to pay for my education in full when I applied, stating that he had enough funds to pay for me without making a dent in his accounts. I didn't want him to. I felt that building up student loans was an important life event for me, as silly as that sounds. I told him that he could back it back for me when I was done, if he felt so inclined to help out. He agreed. Besides, it would be awfully weird if Charlie didn't get any weird phone calls or mail about loans.

Alice had been perfect in planning everything, since she knew of the weather beforehand. Storms were going to wreak havoc in the area for the days she was around, making it safer for them to travel in public. I felt bad for Edward, knowing that he would have to spend a lot of his free time at the apartment or in the valleys during the sunny days. He didn't seem to mind much, though. He told me that staying with me made him happier than traveling ever could. What aided in that was the small piano that Alice sprung on us the morning that the rest of the Cullens were coming to visit. Edward's face was priceless; like a kid on Christmas morning. It sat in the corner of my living room, looking like it was meant to be there. I told him not to break it in until the others arrived; I knew Esme loved to hear him play as much as I did.

Emmett pummeled me as usual, swinging me around in a tight bearhug when he got out of his Jeep later that day. Rosalie kept her distance, but did wave at me. I caught her smile as she followed Emmett inside. I had to catch my breath and get rid of the dizziness before I could follow them. Carlisle, Jasper, and Esme arrived a few minutes later in Carlisle's Mercedes. Esme outdid herself, bringing pans of food for dinner. I wanted to scold her for working so hard, but she assured me that it was no trouble.

"Nice Digs, Bellsy," Emmett snickered as he paced around the living room. "Bet it feels good to be freeee!"

"You could say that," I shrugged with a smile. "I'm just glad to be out of Forks."

"It's a crappy town," Emmett said sourly, patting my shoulder. "I totally get it."

"You look like you're nice and settled," Esme commented as she admired Alice's handy work.

Carlisle gave me a polite hug. "Looking forward to your semester, Bella?"

"Yeah," I replied. "A lot."

"The campus is really nice," Alice chimed, sliding herself next to Jasper. "She will thrive there brilliantly."

Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Everything is working out nicely, Love," he said sweetly. I nodded, feeling at peace.

I took a moment to look at the faces of my new family. I say that because the Cullens had accepted me as one of them so easily, that I called them mine. They supported me no matter what, in a way that my own parents didn't. Charlie did what he could, but I knew deep down that he wasn't happy that I moved away. I was his home. Renee barely communicated with me, which was nothing new for her. I think she's in Brazil or something now. Some retreat, probably. Maybe she knows I'm in college. Maybe not. Who knows with her.

As Edward's hands graced the ivory keys of the piano that evening, I felt a sense of pride. I was proud of myself. Of us. We had been through a lot the last almost two years. Two years! Had it really been that long? I bit on my lip suddenly when I realized that it was nearing the anniversary of our official meeting. Edward's face was completely relaxed, looking serene as he played. A smile appeared on his flawless face, probably from my realization. I leaned back deeper into the couch, feeling Esme's hand at my arm lovingly. We were all mesmerized by Edward's music. It was enchanting. He, like his mother once had, bared his soul when he played. I felt privileged to be exposed to such beauty.

There was a vibration in my jeans, and I pulled out my cell to see that Jacob was calling. I grumbled, mumbling an "excuse me" before taking the call in my bedroom. I had not spoken to him since I moved out of state. Not necessarily because I was avoiding him. I just didn't want to deal with his abrasive anger issues.

"_Bells? Hey! How's Cali?"_ he asked normally.

"Jake, I'm kind of busy at the moment," I sighed; the melody from the living room distracting me.

"_Oh, come on,"_ he snorted. _"You can pry yourself from that leech for five minutes to talk to your best friend, can't you?"_

"Jake," I warned. He knew I hated that name. "What do you want?"

"_Charlie came over and was saying how you were when you moved. Just wanted to check up on you. Everything going okay?"_ The tone of his voice was deep, signifying that he wasn't _just asking _about the move_. _

"Yes, Jake. Everything is great." I knew where this was going, and I soooo didn't want to go there right now. "I'm still breathing if that's what you're worried about." I smacked my lips together angrily.

There was a long silence for a few minutes. Edward's playing slowed into my lullaby, and I instantly felt the constriction in my chest from the agitation caused by Jake release.

"_Okay, fine, I get it. I'll leave you alone."_ God, could Jake be any more immature?

"Jake, stop." I squinted my eyes and took a deep breath. "I appreciate your concern. But really, nothing shady is going on. Don't you trust me?"

"_You I trust, Bells. It's the others I don't trust."_

"I told you, Jake, that nothing is gonna happen. Even if it did, it's none of your business." I was getting ridiculously fucking annoyed with Jake now. The elders probably put him up to this. Or Sam. Regardless, I was pissed off. His silence made me furious, and I seethed into the phone. "I see how it is, Jake. You don't need to _keep tabs_ on me anymore. I have my big girl panties on and can take care of myself. When your balls drop, call me." I snapped shut my phone so hard I worried that it broke. When I saw that it was fine, I bit on my bottom lip and shoved the cell back in my pocket.

"Everything alright, Dear?" Esme asked with concerned eyes. I shrugged, rejoining her on the couch and smiling at Carlisle beside her. Edward seemed a little sad as he resumed his playing. He looked as defeated as I felt. He hid it a lot better than I did.

Jake's worry was warranted. I knew that. When I announced to everyone that I was moving to California, he knew that Edward would be joining me. He also knew of the closeness we shared, and so the entire pack freaked out, thinking that Edward would do something terrible, like kill me or worse: _change_ me.

It's not that I didn't think about it. The idea of living forever, having Edward at my side always, being eternally young, was tempting. However, it equally frightened me. Could I live with myself, going and hunting animals? Being constantly temped to kill those around me? Edward tortured himself for a century about his existence. Would I do that too? After so many decades, would I regret the decision and detest Edward for what he did? What about watching my parents and friends slowly die? These were the questions that kept me up at night sometimes. Edward hated it. Hated seeing me have nightmares over it. He was against changing me, even after he believed that I'd still have a soul afterwards. It was a scary, heavy, everything-altering decision to make. I just didn't want to make it at eighteen. Edward understood that, and so we had not spoken about it since before graduation. Though, Jake apparently didn't get the damn memo.

"Hey, Bella? Could we chat?" Alice asked when Edward finished performing. I looked at her curiously, unable to identify the look in her eyes. I nodded and was yanked out into the yard of my apartment by her small hands. The night looked wonderful over the valleys and trees in the distance. Lights from the city sparkled over the horizon, reminding me of Christmas lights almost.

"What's up, Alice?" I asked, pretty interested in what she wanted and why we had to be outside for it.

She turned to me, took my hands into hers, and smiled. "You know I love you like a sister, right, Bella?" Her eyes were wide and beautiful as Alice always was. Her question confused me. Why would she ask me that?

"Of course. I love you too, Alice. What's this about?" My gaze fell to our hands.

"It's been a long couple of years for you. Seeing now that you are 'growing up' and living on your own, breaking away from the confines of Forks High School…I wanted to say that I am proud to know you." She flashed me a brilliant smile that only Alice Cullen could give before pulling me into a loving hug. I hugged back the crazy pixie with a genuine smile on my face. She was the greatest friend I could ever ask for.

"Proud to know you too, Miss Tinkerbell," I teased as we let go.

"You've done a lot for our family. So I think I can let you in on a little secret; one Edward doesn't even know about!" Knowing she had a secret from Edward rang a few bells and whistles in my head. I nudged her to continue. "I saw you coming to an extent, even before that vision of the car crash. You were sitting at the piano bench beside Edward, listening to him play your lullaby. You were in your red sweater and black jeans." I gasped as I remembered that moment years back. It was after Edward and I spoke about his vampirism. He invited me over a few days later to listen to him play, saying he had a gift for me. Listening to him play a song he composed for me was downright extraordinary. This was her first vision of me? She noticed my silence and grinned. "I was so excited to see how happy Edward was because of you! I wanted to jump at you the next day in school, but I could not."

"When did you see that?"

"The first week we moved to Forks." I was shocked. Simply shocked. Alice knew so long ago that Edward and I would be together…

"Wow. And you managed to keep it a secret?"

"Well, the vision would shift every once in a while, especially when Edward thought he would kill you. So I didn't want to spill the beans about it too early. I told Jasper about my vision, so he would suggest that Edward get used to your scent. Plus, I am a master of masking my thoughts," she said triumphantly. I smiled weakly. "When I saw the vision of your accident, it really scared me. We weren't even friends yet and I started grieving. Then, when I told Edward about it, I saw the depth of his car for you, and I just knew it would work out. That somehow you would survive."

"And I did," I said quietly, remembering that terrible day. "Thanks to him."

"Exactly!" Alice beamed, squeezing my hands. "I am so glad that you stuck with him after he told you the truth about us. I know it was a long while ago, but I never appropriately thanked you for not cutting us out of your life. I didn't see that you would, but you know how subjective my visions are."

"I'm glad I didn't. You guys were the best thing to happen to me," I sighed, also thinking about how awful I felt. How terrified and irrational I was back then. Tears were threatening to sprout from the sides of my eyes. Alice pecked my cheek and giggled.

"Everything will work out, Bella. You'll see. Just trust your instincts," she said cryptically. Abruptly, she dropped my hands and rushed back inside, leaving me dumbfounded in my yard. Was she hiding something? What the hell did she mean by that?

It was sad when the Cullens left to return to Forks. I was suddenly hyperaware of my independence and solitary new life. Well, outside of Edward. We spent the day before my classes would start walking around on a path by my road. The sun was out, and Edward was beaming, both figuratively _and_ literally. It was cool to see surrounding his pale-blue button down dress shirt and faded brown jeans. I had on a pair of my old favorite blue jeans and converse sneakers, with a bleach-stained grey tank top. We were only taking a stroll, who cared what I looked like? It was blistering hot out, so I clung to Edward, him being my own personal air conditioner. He chuckled when I complained about the heat, responding by running his hand up and down my back. It felt amazing as we walked. Whatever he was excited about, he hid well from me. Probably happy for me to start college. He knew how important it was to me.

"Are you nervous, Love?" He asked while we hit some gravel on our trail.

"A bit. Never did college before," I mumbled. He chuckled gingerly.

"It isn't that bad. Especially since you are going into a field that interests you," he replied. I shrugged, jumping over a couple pieces of broken glass.

"Says the guy who has umpteenth degrees," I snickered with a roll of my eyes. He grabbed me around my waist and kissed my neck.

"You will be fine. I have faith in your abilities, Bella." I tried to listen to his compassionate words, though honestly, I was too wrapped up in how cool and good his lips felt on my sweating skin that it didn't matter.

"Hmm. Kay," I sighed. He smiled into my skin.

"I find it enrapturing when I can feel what I do to you, Miss Swan," he cooed deviously against my ear. This man was driving me crazy and he knew it! The bastard. He chuckled. It was music.

"You're evil when you want to be," I playfully snarled.

He pressed me against him further, nuzzling his nose into my draped hair. "And you are far too tempting for your own good."

I wanted to ravish him right then and there in the middle of the stone path by the valley. Yet something irked me in the back of my head. Why was he so touchy-feely all of a sudden? Not that I minded, hell no. But Edward was still very old-school, so we usually kept our hands in appropriate places in public, regardless if people were around or not.

"Is something bothering you, Edward?" I asked, hesitantly placing a hand on his cool chest and pushing him off. His darkened golden pools were flickering with lust and something else entirely. Clouds passed by overhead, and his skin became normal.

"I've just been thinking about a few matters, Bella," he sighed, running a hand into his thick hair and tugging at it in frustration. My gaze softened and my heart ached. Something was wrong.

"Like…what?" I whispered, thinking the worst, as always. Was he regretting the move out to California with me? Was he missing his family? I knew that he had spent most of his century of extended life with them…maybe he wanted to go back and didn't know how to tell me.

"Oh God no, Bella," he cried, looking back at me and frowning anxiously. "That's not an issue at all. I needed a break from my family, I could never leave you."

"Then what's the problem?" He looked so wrought with conflict. More than his usual broody nature. It unhinged me in my gut. Was something bad going to happen?

"No, nothing like that," he answered my question. I wanted to reach out and touch him. There was hesitancy on my part because it was like a force field coated Edward where he stood. If I touched it, one of us would break. I hated seeing the pain in his eyes. What was happening? "This isn't how it was supposed to go…" he murmured slowly. The sun's rays let him explode with light once again, making me lose my breath as I watched the contradiction before me: glorious, inhuman beauty enmeshed with tortured, hauntingly dark emotion. "Bella, you are in love with me, correct?"

I blanched slightly at his question. It was lame. Stupid. Arbitrary. _DUH._ "Uh, yeah, I love you. Why are you asking that?" I arched an eyebrow as I searched his face for an answer. He heaved outwards, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Do I make you happy?"

_Okay, where is this all coming from?_ My mind was reeling in confusion. "Of course you make me happy. Isn't it obvious when I can barely think when you're close to me?" A small smile crept over his pinched lips. "What's going on, Edward? You're kinda scaring me here."

"I do not mean to, I just…" Edward took a deep breath and sighed. His show kicked the ground and he shoved a hand into his pocket, fidgeting. Edward Cullen fidgets? Was that possible? He looked so…so _human_ in that moment, wracked with nerves for some reason. "I wanted to clarify your feelings."

"Um, why?"

"So I could do this," he asked, pulling out his hand from his pocket and revealing to me a small square box covered in crimson velvet. My mouth gaped wide, and I probably looked like a fish out of water as it closed and opened a couple times. I _knew_ what a box like that meant. He wasn't seriously going to…_was_ he? My eyes propped back up to his, looking into them deeply. "In my time, I would have courted you, Isabella. My mother would have supervised us sitting in the courtyard having tea and talking about the future. I would have to ask permission to see you again, perhaps stealing away a kiss here and there before saying goodnight. I would have to desperately try and win you over while you sought out other available men. I would then make an honest woman out of you, before consummating out relationship physically. Our relationship has been completely backwards, but it has been everything I dreamed of since I was human."

An image of him in a grey and brown suit came to mind, with his hair combed down and under a top hat as he greeted me at my door through a bow. He'd kiss the top of my hand politely, introduce himself to my father and mother, and ask if I can join him for a stroll. I'd be in some ridiculous dress and bonnet, with an arm around his, listening as he spoke to me about his work and his means to take care of me. He was right about our relationship. It was indeed backwards from how normal relationships go even nowadays.

My palms went clammy and I could feel my knees shaking under my jeans as my eyes bore into the box he held.

"Edward…" I whispered, uncertain of what to do in the situation. In an instant, he was in front of me, pressing his cold forehead against mine and running a hand down my cheek to sooth me. He could feel how erratic my heart was pounding and the ruggedness of my breathing.

"I know that you fear the type of commitment I am suggesting to you. It is a rather large step, and this is a time where you are stressed about so many things. I wanted to wait until you finished your first year of college, but I just grew too selfish. It may sound prehistoric to you, Bella, but I want to know that we belong to each other. You have owned my heart since the first day I saw you, and I'd like to presume that the feeling was mutual." _Oh god, it was. It was._ "You are, and always will be my reason to exist, Isabella." Edward pulled back to see my eyes, pouting his lips as his thumb wiped away the tears that were now stream down my blubbering face. "You have accepted me for all that I am. You stayed when you should have run. The monster that I am does not frighten you like it once did. I am too afraid to lose you. I want you with me forever."

I sniffled in a _very_ unattractive way, unable to respond with my head or my mouth. It was too much. How do you respond to that? Edward was freaking _proposing_ to me.

"Edward, are you doing what I think you are?" I finally spoke, tasting my tears on my tongue. His eyes lowered as he unclasped the box, exposing a beautiful ring. It was silver, with purple stones amidst what were clearly diamonds. It was too pretty. And probably cost him an arm and a leg, or five.

"Isabella Swan. I may be an immortal, but I am also a man. A man who has found his perfect match after waiting unknowingly for over a hundred years. If I could, I would give you the world and more. I hope that my heart and love is good enough. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

My mouth went completely dry as the ring sparkled, almost as much as Edward did. _Holy shit. What do I say? Yes? No? Maybe so? Fuck! I…I dunno what to do!_ Every thought was screaming in my head, giving me a raw headache.

"_Trust your instincts."_ Alice's cryptic message replayed over it all, and I gasped. _She knew_. She knew Edward was going to propose, and she knew I would freak. Trust my instincts, she said. What did I want?

Memories flooded me. Seeing Edward in the hallway, looking glum as we passed each other. Sitting next to him in biology class just enjoying how sweet he smelled. How concerned he looked when he helped me with my homework that horrible day we first spoke more than five words to each other. That first kiss in the rain. Being saved. Twice. Fighting in the parking lot. Ignoring him for weeks. Being in his arms and having that sensation that the world was on the right exist when we were together. All of it, and everything else leading up to this moment contributed to the swelling of my pounding heart. I knew my answer. I had known for a long time subconsciously. Now, I guess, was the right time to express it.

"Yes," I choked out, my eyes not leaving his in fear of melting away under the sun. "Yes."

Edward's smile was pure radiance as he lifted one of my hands, sliding the gorgeous ring over my finger. It fit around my finger like it was meant for me, making me smile along with him. His hand grazed over the stones while he held my hand.

Fear struck me then. I was only eighteen. How was I going to tell people I was engaged without them thinking I was knocked up? Or being stupid and impulsive? Would Charlie threaten to come out here and shoot Edward?

"He knows already, Bella," Edward said. I gawked at him.

"Who already knows?"

"Charlie. I had to ask his permission."

Oh. My. God.

"You didn't…"

"I did," he said, baring his teeth with a broader smile. "He knew my plan back before we helped you move."

"And he didn't shoot you? Well hot damn," I guffawed. Edward chuckled and kissed my cheek gently.

"Quite the opposite, actually. After I assured him of my intentions, that you were not pregnant, and that I preferred a long engagement, he gave me his blessing. I believe I proved myself an array of times since we met." Picturing the conversation made me grimace. I couldn't see Charlie being so okay with this.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'long engagement'?" He pulled back some of my hair and sighed.

"I did not expect that you wanted to get married immediately. I am sure that it would be awkward to be a freshman in college with a husband."

I ruminated the idea for a moment, cringing. "You're right on that."

"I thought so. I figured that you would want some time, a few years at least. Now that you've said yes, I can certainly wait for the ceremony."

My eyes fell back down to the ring, thinking about what _else_ this meant for our future. "Edward, what about…you know…" I grew unbelievably nervous then, and my stomach went into knots.

"One step at a time, Bella," he said cautiously, drawing me into his chest. "I told you a long time ago that I would never pressure you into anything. It took me some months to contemplate the possibility of changing you and what that would mean for everyone. After watching you graduate, shining brighter than any star in this universe, I knew that you would do such great things. I do not want to stunt your capabilities. But, I've acquiesced to the fact that it will be your decision ultimately, and I am too selfish a creature to deny you immortality if you so choose it. If you were to die a human, I would soon follow."

"What do you mean?" I asked in wonder.

"Bella, existing in a world where you do not is too painful an idea. If you were to die permanent, I would take my own life so I could join you. I cannot be away from you, ever. Not like that."

My heart sank to my toes at the idea of Edward committing suicide. However, it showed me that he was completely devoted to me, as I him. My hands squeezed the shirt at his back and I looked up at him.

"I wouldn't mind the change, someday. I don't like the idea of being separated from you, either." I still had so much to do in my life that the thought of abandoning everyone I knew and loved hurt too badly.

"There is no pressure, Love." _Good lord, how did I end up with such an amazing guy?_ I was so overwhelmed with emotion, that I smashed my lips against his before he could say anything more.

We stood there, on that gravel path, kissing each other like our lives depended on it. In some ways, I'd say it did. My life was changing so dramatically so fast that I feared that I would drown in it. But Edward was always there to keep me afloat. And maybe, just maybe, he'd be at my side eternally, forever reminding me that life is what _you_ make of it. And I had a _lot_ of things to accomplish.

Sometimes, standing out in a crowd isn't so bad after all.


End file.
